Break My Bones and I'll Break Your Heart
by DaringEMAE
Summary: On the way to an album celebration party, blue-haired vocalist of the super-famous band, The Espadas, gets struck off of his Ducati when he runs a red light. Ichigo, the stunned, unsuspecting driver takes him to the hospital. Now he has to choose between his childish bestfriend or the short-tempered rock star. Shiro/Ichi at first, Grimm/Ichi later. AU
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys! Just came up with this idea one day and thought it would make a great story. :3 So I hope you guys like it!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"WOOOOO!" Nnoitra shouted as he, Grimmjow, Ulquiorra, and Starrk exited the stage. "Finally! Let's get to that party!"

The band had just finished the last song for the concert and they were ready to get out of there. Grimmjow shook his head at his hyped band mate then plopped down on the dressing room couch. As soon as they caught their breath, their manager, Nelliel, barged in and held up a newspaper.

"WE'VE GONE _DOULBE_ PLATINUM!" She shouted happily. They all cheered loudly—save Ulquiorra—and Nnoitra lifted her into a tight hug. He spun in a circle making Nelliel giggle then blush as he set her down. "This'll be great news to announce at the party tonight! So, I want you guys to look your best! C'mon, get going!"

"I'll meet you guys there," Grimmjow said then got up to leave.

"Grimmjow, take a shower before you go! Actually, _all_ of you go home and wash yourselves. You smell like hot garbage," Nelliel said then squeezed her nose shut. "C'mon, now! We've got a party to get to!" Nelliel left and they all went their separate ways to get ready.

Grimmjow exited to the back of the stadium where his motorcycle was being guarded. He slipped on his helmet, put on his gloves then straddled his Ducati. His blue baby. He'd wanted one for so long, and because of The Espada's first platinum album, he was able to buy as many as he wanted. But it was this one that caught his eye. She was a beauty. Electric blue with black here and there. They were like twins when he put on his black jacket. He revved the engine a few times before speeding off like a demon. Grimmjow was excited. Tonight was the celebration party of their album going _double_ platinum. That was a true feat and they all decided to get shitfaced in commemoration.

He smiled behind the protector on his helmet and sped up to get to his house quicker. He had to go home and change out of his sweaty clothes before he could do any partying. Luckily, the streets weren't very occupied and he was able to go faster. His bike slowed to a stop at a red light and he waited. He impatiently tapped his foot because this red light was taking _forever_. Grimmjow soon heard giggling then looked to his side. A car full of hot girls had pulled up next to him. He grinned when he saw them wearing his band's t-shirts then slipped his helmet up.

"Hey, ladies," he said smoothly. The one driving turned towards him then screamed.

"It's you! It's you! Oh my God! You guys!"

Her hyperventilating caught the attention of her friends and they all looked at him. Grimmjow smirked at the car full of chaos. He wasn't conceited or anything—well, maybe a _little_—but he knew what his smile could do to a car full of chicks.

"You guys wanna come to a party?" He asked.

"Oh my God, yes!" They all shouted. Grimmjow wrote down the address then signed the paper so they could get in. He handed it to the one driving then put his helmet back on.

"Seeya there," he said then sped away from the screaming girls.

Great, he'd get to drink _and_ fuck tonight. Grimmjow leaned forward and pressed the gas harder, anxious to get to his party. He saw a green light turn yellow so he sped up. He could make it. The yellow light turned red and he rolled his eyes.

_Whatever_, he thought then continued to speed right into the intersection.

* * *

"Bye, Ichigo!" Orihime shouted as Ichigo walked up the steps to his apartment.

Ichigo turned and waved at his group of friends before searching through his pockets for his keys. He finally found them then opened his door. He frowned at all the people in his home. There was loud music blasting and red plastic cups littered everywhere. He knew his roommate was responsible. All Ichigo wanted to do was to come home after a quiet night out with his friends and go to sleep. He didn't want to deal with a rave party in his house. Angrily, he pushed people out of his way and went down the hall to his bedroom. He opened the door and found a couple making out on his bed. He closed his eyes then sighed angrily and squeezed the door handle tighter. He felt a cold hand cover his on the door handle.

"Guys! I specifically said _this_ room was _off limits_! Get out!" The couple got off the bed without detaching their lips then left.

"Shiro!" Ichigo screamed making his roommate flinch. "Explain."

"Uh...Welcome–_hic–_home, Ichi!" Shirosaki said drunkly then wrapped his arms around a very unamused Ichigo.

"Shiro, why do I have to go over this everytime? No parties on school nights! I have to study!"

"But you weren't even–_hic_–studyin' tonight! You were–_hic_–out with your friends!" Shiro defended.

"That doesn't change the rule! I still have school in the morning!"

"Ichi, stop–_hic_–bein' so uptight! You _really_ need ta let loose..." Shiro's hands slowly slid down to the orange-head's slim waist making the latter pull away.

"I'm going somewhere more quiet," Ichigo said sternly then pushed past him.

"Wait! Can you pick up some more beer?"

"Fuck you, Shiro," Ichigo said and continued to walk but was stopped when his roomate wrapped his arms around his waist then sat on the floor.

"Please, Ichi! Please, Ichi! Please, Ichi! _Please_, Ichi!" He whined.

"_You_ go get it! I'm _17!_ I can't get you anything!"

"I'll give you a fake ID!" Shiro pleaded.

Ichigo growled then ripped his arms away. He took off his bag then tossed it at the albino on the floor. He held out his hand to get the money, Shiro's car keys, and the fake ID. The orange-head sighed when he received them.

"I'll be right back," he mumbled.

"You're the best, Ichi!" Shiro shouted at him as he shut the door.

Ichigo didn't know why he always did things for Shiro. Sure, they'd known each other since they were little, but that didn't mean the albino deserved any special treatment. If anything, he should've kicked everyone out—including Shiro. But, he decided against it. Ichigo slid into Shiro's black and white Challenger then backed out of the driveway. Halfway to the store, he forgot to ask Shiro what kind of beer he wanted. He cursed then patted his pocket for his phone then pulled it out. Accidentally dropping it made him curse again. Ichigo carefully reached down to get his phone. When he came back up, he didn't notice in time the motorcyclist that had ran a red light and passed in front of him.

* * *

Grimmjow turned his head too late when he saw the pair of headlights coming at him. The impact was sudden. He barely felt the car slam into his right leg. But what really hurt like a _bitch_ was flipping through the air like a rag doll, then feeling every part of his body being repeatedly smacked against the asphalt as he slowed to a stop. He felt something dense and heavy crash onto his left arm then hit his head, making it whip to the side. He cried out in pain and coughed as a little bit of blood filled his mouth. The next thing he heard was screeching metal next to him and the burning of tires against the road. Grimmjow groaned then closed his eyes as he lost consciousness.

Ichigo's eyes were wide, his breathing ragged and panicked. He could feel the small amount of blood running down his face, but he ignored it. All he could stare at was the still body and destroyed motorcycle in the beams of light created by his headlights.

_I just hit someone_, he thought. _Oh_ God, _I just_ hit _someone_.

Ichigo practically fell out the car then ran over to the injured rider.

* * *

**Poor Grimmy! DX Anyways, I know it's a short beginning, but I still hope you guys liked it! Tell me what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow! I had no idea I'd actually get as much response as I did! But I'm glad you guys enjoyed the first chapter! Now the pressure is on to follow up with the rest of the story...I actually get pretty frightened when my stories get reviews. Then it means I have to step my game up and really try. I am bad at planning when I'll update chapters, and I get horrible writer's block.**

**I mean ****_TERRIBLE_**** writer's block.**

**Sometimes I don't touch my computer or a pen for ****_months_**** as far as my ideas. But, I'm am going to ****_really_**** try with this one. I have grown as a writer and all the response to this story has given me a feeling of responsibility to make an awesome story for you guys to read. It's going to be a rough and bumpy road, but I am hopeful that you all will bear with me! Thanks to all who reviewed, followed, or favorited this story!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"HELP!" Ichigo shouted as he ran over to the unmoving motorcyclist. He carefully pulled off the helmet and saw blood everywhere on the guy's face, mostly flowing from his mouth. "Hey! Are you still with me?" The teen bent down towards his face to see if he could hear any breathing. He couldn't. "Shit." Ichigo started to panic. He roughly pulled at his hair as he stared down at the bloodied and bruised man.

_Calm down, Ichigo, you're in medical school, you know what to do_, he thought, trying to encourage himself.

He unzipped the tight leather jacket and pulled it off of the man then unbuttoned his shirt next. His wrist and shoulder were swelling up and turning purple and his chest was swelling up too. Ichigo knew that his chest cavity and lungs were filling up with blood. He placed both his hands on his chest and started to pump. The blue-haired man still wasn't moving so Ichigo ran back to the car. He drove it closer then tried to pull the heavy, shirtless man into the passenger seat. He started to cough and groan in pain so Ichigo was a little more careful. He strapped the seatbelt over him then ran over to the driver's side and drove towards the hospital. He had to keep wiping the blood dripping from his hair and forehead out of his eyes so he could see. Ichigo tightly gripped the steering wheel and his breath still hadn't calmed. The blue-haired guy groaned and opened his eyes. He turned his head from side to side while mumbling incoherently.

"Hey, what's your name?" Ichigo asked worriedly, trying to see if the man had any brain damage.

"Grimm...Grimm...jow..." He answered, blood still flowing from his mouth.

"Ok, Grimmjow. Don't worry, I'm taking you to a hospital. You're going to be ok," Ichigo said, his voice shaking a bit.

"P-Par...ty..." Grimmjow mumbled. "T-Take me...home..."

"I-I can't do that. Too much blood's coming out of your mouth. Something must've ruptured," Ichigo sighed in guilt.

"N-No..." Grimmjow moved his right arm making him groan loudly then opened his door.

"ARE YOU _FUCKING MENTAL_?!" Ichigo shouted then leaned over to shut his door then locked all of them. "You idiot! The car is moving! You could've killed yourself!"

"I...would've been...fine..." The blue-haired man mumbled then started to cough violently, holding his chest and splattering blood all over himself and the windshield.

Ichigo looked between him an the road, trying to make sure he didn't drown in his own blood. Grimmjow's head dropped once he stopped coughing and Ichigo placed two fingers on his neck. It was pure luck that they made it to the hospital, because Grimmjow barely had a pulse.

"Help! Somebody help me, please!" Ichigo shouted, panting from jogging inside. A few people followed him outside and they placed the unconcious man on a gurney then placed a handheld respirator on him. As they wheeled Grimmjoe to the ER, Ichigo tried to follow, but was stopped by a nurse. "Can't I go in, too? I just want to make sure he's ok."

"Sir, we need to take a look at your head injury," the nurse said.

"I'm fine," Ichigo replied. "I just want to know about _him_!"

"Sir..."

"I said I'm _fine_! Just help him!"

Ichigo didn't mean to snap, but the shock from almost killing a person with a car was starting to sink in. He sat in the waiting room with an ice pack and a towel on his head and waited for someone to update him on the man's condition. He really hoped Grimmjow wouldn't die. Ichigo didn't think he could handle that guilt for the rest of his life. Grimmjow probably had friends, family, maybe even a girlfriend. And there was a small chance that he ripped him away from them all.

"Ichigo!"

The orange-head looked up to see his dad jogging towards him. He was about to ask why he was here, but that would've been a stupid question since he owned the hospital. Ichigo wiped some more blood out of his eye as he dad kneeled down in front of him. He knew he would have to explain what happened and it only made his stomach and throat clench.

"Someone told me you were down here. What the hell happened?" His dad asked worriedly. Trying to compose himself, Ichigo opened his mouth to speak.

"I...hit someone..." He said lowly. His dad pulled him into a hug and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"C'mon, let's get you fixed up," his dad said then lead him to a small evaluation room.

Isshin wiped Ichigo's face and disinfected the scar on his head then wrapped a bandage around it. He smiled softly at his son and knew he was a bit shaken up. Isshin knew how to fix his son's broken state and brought his fist down on the top of Ichigo's head earning a shout from the teen. Ichigo steamed then proceeded to chase his laughing father down the hall.

"What the hell, Dad?!" Ichigo shouted after him. "This is a hospital! Show some respect!"

"Dr. Kurosaki!" One of the nurses ran up to Isshin then handed him a clipboard. "This is an update on patient Grimmjow Jaegerjaques," hearing his name made Ichigo's ears perk up.

"Let's see..."

"I-Is he ok?" The orange-head asked.

"Left carpus scattered. Torn supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor on the left side. Right tibia fractured. Small skull crack. Ribs 2 and 7 broken. Chest cavity flooded. Right lung ruptured by ribs. Needs immediate surgery," Isshin whistled in amazement.

Ichigo felt even _more_ guilty than before because he knew what all of those were.

"Well, we don't have much time to waist. Ichigo, I need you to go to the house and look after your sisters for the night. I'll be here for a while." Ichigo nodded but pressed forward the question of the night again.

"Ok. But is he gonna be alright? Grimmjow, I mean."

"Don't worry, we've delt with worse. I'll call you as soon as he's better," Isshin assured him then walked swiftly into the ER. Ichigo walked outside into the crisp night air and sighed. Looking at the banged up Challenger still in the driveway, he thought:

_Shiro's gonna kill me_.

* * *

Grimmjow felt fuzzy. Seriously, like a cotton ball. He felt cold. He opened his eyes and was met with a harsh light that made him groan and shut them immediately. He couldn't feel anything. Yet everything hurt at the same time. He heard muffled voices and blinked several times to try and focus. He saw masks. He saw knives being passed back and forth. He saw needles. He saw scissors. Grimmjow tried to ask where he was but felt something hurt in his nose and mouth. He saw tubes coming out of his nose and felt the one deep in his throat. He coughed, blood spurting out then hitting his face and hair. A loud, rapid beeping started and he could here chaos in the room. Suddenly, he felt waves of warmth spread through him, starting from his arm and flowing through his whole body. He closed his eyes and internally sighed.

_This fuckin' sucks_, he thought angrily before he passed out.

* * *

Ichigo drove to the nearest gas station to fill up and wiped the splattered blood from inside the car. He tiredly shuffled back to the car and drove to his family's home. He reached into the plant on the porch and picked up the fake rock, retrieving the spare key from inside. The door opened with a creak and the teen stepped inside the dark house. He was exhausted. It'd been a long day and to top it off, he'd hit someone with Shiro's car. The last thing he wanted to do was think about the blood covered man, but it was _all_ he could think about. Not bothering to wake up the girls and tell them he was downstairs, considering how late it was, he plopped down on the couch. It was right before his phone buzzed with Shirosaki's ringtone that he fell fast asleep.

* * *

**Well, I hope you guys enjoyed it! I always have to pull out the ass for the second chapter of anything I write. But I'm glad because this one came kind of naturally. My updates might be a little sporadic, but if I haven't updated in a week, just know I'm having trouble getting the idea on to paper. I have the whole story planned out, but it's just hard to put into words...Until next time!**

**-EMAE**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Damn, I am not happy with this chapter ****_at all_****.**

**And it's only the third.**

**I'm really having trouble capturing Grimm and Shiro's personalities, and the story is falling apart in my mind. Whenever I got ideas, I'd think, '****_Oh! That's a good one! But I'm too lazy to write it down...eh, no worries, I'll remember it_****!' ...**

**I realized that if I really love this story as much as I say I do, then I can't afford to think like that. And also, I need to balance and prioritize my life. So, I decided that I will be uploading every other Saturday to balance out ideas and my schoolwork. But that won't start happening for a while. The stress of thinking about this story has taken away my focus for school and school is very important to me. So, if I want to continue this story, then I need to take care of school first. Of course this change in my uploading schedule will call for longer chapters, but I think I can handle it. I apologize for the extension of uploading dates, but I really do want to make this a great story. So thank you all who are willing to wait! And without further adieu...**

**Enjoy! :3**

* * *

Ichigo woke with a jolt when his phone rang loudly. He fumbled with it for a while before dropping it on the floor and missing the call. He unlocked his phone and saw that he had 15 missed calls from Shiro and 2 from his dad. The teen was more concerned about the calls from his dad so he hopped off the couch and went to the kitchen. A note was on the door of the refrigerator and he ripped it off to read it.

_We went to school. Yuzu made you eggs and rice balls and there's juice in the fridge. P.S. You suck at babysitting, baka._

_-Karin_

Ichigo frowned at the rude note from his little sister then opened the fridge. There was a small box with his food and another note on the juice.

_Ichi-nii, sorry about Karin's rudeness. I hope you like the food! Love you, big brother!_

_-Yuzu_

Ichigo smiled then sat at the counter before scarfing the food down and leaving. He needed to see what was up with his dad and Grimmjow at the hospital. He walked up to the busted car and sighed. Shiro was definetly going to rip his spine out. With that thought in mind, he drove down to the hospital. Ichigo was surprised when the entrance was surrounded by millions of people holding signs. It was almost impossible to park anywhere so he parked in his dad's second spot and got out. The teen weaved and maneuvered through the screaming people. When he finally got through and passed the security guards, he wondered why all those people were outside. And why did the hospital need security?

_Hm. Must be someone famous here_. Ichigo thought as we walked inside.

* * *

Grimmjow gasped in pain as he woke up. His breathing was heavy and ragged, as if he'd just run a marathon, the tube down his throat hurting him as he panted. He decided to breath out of his nose, but that was painful too since there were tubes there as well. His breathing slowed as he looked at his surroundings. He was obviously in the hospital, the big white room and beeping monitor next to him made that obvious. He remembered how he got there too. He was on the way home, talked to some girls, ran a red light...then... Grimmjow groaned in agony at the thought of what happened. His poor bike... He had no idea what had become of it and it angered him. He slightly remembered the son-of-a-bitch who did it and growled.

The dude with the orange hair. That's the one who'd have to pay. Grimmjow turned his head and looked out of the clear window. He could see people bustling about and rushing down the halls and could hear all the other familiar hospital noises. A tall, raven-haired man in a doctor's coat walked in looking at a clipboard. He bit his lip in thought then placed the clipboard on the edge of the hospital bed. Grimmjow grunted to get his attention, but making any noises hurt like hell. He weakly lifted his uninjured arm and waved it about, desperately trying to alert the man. Angry that he wasn't being noticed, the rockstar knocked the nearby tray over causing it to make a loud clatter. Isshin looked up surprised then smiled.

"So I see you're still functioning! That's great! How do you feel?" The doctor asked joking. Grimmjow glared at him then tugged at the tube down his throat to answer. "Ah, ah!" The man stopped his movements. "Wouldn't wanna die, now would we?" Grimmjow raised an eyebrow at the man's strange behavior. "I'm Dr. Kurosaki, Mr. Jaegerjaques. Is there anything you'd like to know?" Grimmjow pointed at the clipboard and Isshin followed his gaze.

"Oh! You want to know your condition? Well, I gotta say, it ain't pretty." Grimmjow just rolled his eyes and nodded for him to continue. "Ok...your left carpus was scattered." Grimmjow held up his left hand that was wrapped tightly in a bandage. "You tore your supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor on the left side. Your right tibia is fractured. There's a small crack in your skull. You broke your 2nd and 7th rib and they ruptured your right lung, flooding your chest cavity with blood."

The injured man looked to the doctor with a face that said, _you know damn well I don't know what any of that means_.

"Ah," the doctor said realizing the man had no knowledge in medicine. "You scattered the bones in your left wrist, but we managed to get them back together. You tore a few muscles in your left shoulder. The shin on your left leg is fractured. The crack in your skull wasn't very big, so that's nothing to worry about since you were thankfully wearing a helmet. Your 2nd and 7th rib broke and poked a hole in your right lung causing blood to flow in. That's why the tube is there," Isshin pointed at the one down his throat. "To help you breathe and to suck out the left over blood in your chest from surgery."

As if on que, the tube issued strong suction for a few seconds causing Grimmjow to gasp and writhe as his air was taken away. When it stopped he was panting and holding his chest, blood coating the inside of the tube.

"Im sorry, Mr. Jaegerjaques, but I'm afraid you won't be doing any singing for a while," he told him sadly.

Grimmjow frowned and leaned back into the pillows and sighed. Isshin told him he'd be back in a bit then left. The blue-haired patient felt like shit right now. Here he was, Grimmjow Jaegerjaques, world-class rockstar, in a fucking _hospital_ bed. If anything, he should be in _his_ bed with one of those chicks from last night right now. And to add to all that, his bike was fucked, _and_ he couldn't sing. He rolled his eyes and looked around the room. Out in the lobby he saw someone in the window and raised an eyebrow. The door opened and in walked none other than the orange-headed bastard who fucked him up. He had an apologetic look on his face but that didn't sway the man in the slightest. A sheepish blush creeped up the kid's neck and settled on his face and he scowled.

"Uh...hi..." he waved, "I'm Ichigo Kurosaki. I'm the guy who...um...hit you last night," the teen straightened up and looked him in the eye, "Look, I'm really sorry about this, and I'm willing to pay the bill. I'll also try to pay for the repairs on your bike since they were pretty bad..."

"Pretty bad!?" He shouted, muffled by the tube.

The man knew his bike was trashed, but this kid was blindly offering to pay for the repairs. He probably couldn't even pay for it with his life. Ichigo felt bad, but he knew it wasn't completely his fault.

"I mean, you did run a _red_ light...but I still feel a little responsible for what happened," he mumbled.

Grimmjow growled, now blinded by rage because of the orange-head's comment, sat up in bed and yanked the tubes out of his throat and nose.

"I'm gonna kill you," Grimmjow wheezed and pulled the IV out of his arm followed by the pads taped to his chest.

All the monitors started beeping and crashed to the floor as the blue-haired man pulled the cords in an attempt to get to the teen. Ichigo turned to escape but the bottom of his shirt was caught by the enraged patient. Grimmjow pulled him back then grabbed the front of his shirt. He slammed the teen against the wall with surprising strength and brought him close.

"You brat! You wrecked my bike _and_ put me in the fucking hospital! This is _all_ you're fault!"

"It was not! _You're_ the one who ran the red light!" Ichigo defended.

Before the blue-haired man could punch him, he was pulled off Ichigo. With a struggle, the male nurses were able to get him to the ground and sedate him. They mentioned that the medicine prescribed to Grimmjow would cause _major_ mood swings, and in some cases amplify whatever he was feeling at the moment. It wasn't hard to guess that the man was angry and was pushed into pure, blinded rage. They hauled the unconcious man to his bed and ordered Ichigo out of the room for a while. The teen straightened out his wrinkled shirt and left. Ichigo figured that if Grimmjow was able to attack him like that, he'd be fine for the time being. He'd come back to visit later, but for now, it was time to face Shiro.

* * *

Ichigo arrived back at his and Shiro's apartment and parked in the garage. He walked into the complex and up the stairs mumbling curses like '_that ungrateful asshole_' and '_I'm so fucking tired_.' He was _extremely_ tired. Yesterday had been a school night, and he was supposed to study for a test. But he stupidly decided to go out with his friends anyway, mainly because Renji kept taunting him about it. Then he came home to a party, for which he had to buy alcohol illegally. He didn't even know why he pampered his longtime friend. Speaking of whom, maybe he could sneak past him and deal with it later. Patting his pockets for his keys, he cursed himself for often forgetting them. With a sigh, he knocked on the door.

After a few seconds, the door swung open, a worried looking Shirosaki standing behind it.

"Ichigo! Where the _fuck_have you been?!" Shiro asked and grabbed the front of Ichigo's shirt, making him more pissed than he already was. "I've been worried sick!"

"Look, forget about that!" He shoved the albino away from him and took him out to the garage. "There's something that you need to see."

The strawberry blonde showed him the car, no longer caring if he got yelled at anymore today. Shirosaki stared for a while before dropping to his knees and letting out hysterical laugh. Ichigo watched his friend and waited for him to shout and scream at him, but he just gaped at the horrific, busted vehicle. His left headlight was busted, the paint on the hood had slight scratches on it, and the bumper was dented. To Ichigo, the car's damage was not that great, but he knew that Shiro felt differently. The albino stuck out his hand without turning around. Ichigo gently placed the keys in his hand before they were snatched away. The orange-haired teen knew that he would be given the silent treatment for a while, so he just followed his pale roomate back inside.

* * *

**Heh. Ichigo Kurosaki. Wrecking vehicles since...yeah, I got nothin' XD**

**Hoped you guys liked it!**

**The next chapter will go a little deeper into Shiro's friendship with Ichi and Grimmy will be get better soon! Yay!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Damn, it's been a long time. Sorry about that guys. I've been busy with school and such. Plus I was sick ****_and_**** I had to get a root canal. My dentist said I have immaculate teeth, I just need to take care of my back ones a lot more. People lied to me. GETTING A ROOT CANAL DOES NOT HURT. But maybe it didn't hurt me because they gave me five shots of Novacane. XD**

**But anyways, I know you guys didn't come to hear about my teeth. I just want to apologize again for taking so long. So please...**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Hahahahaha! Ho-Ly-_Shit_!" Loud, obnoxious laughter suddenly filled Grimmjow's room.

"Shut _the fuck_ up, Nnoitora!" Said bluenette shouted in annoyance.

He had mentally prepared himself for the beanpoles taunting, but he still managed to piss him off. Starrk walked in and pushed Nnoitora to the side and he fell to the floor, still laughing.

"Grimm..." The brunette's voice sounded as if he was about to give him a lecture.

"Save it, Starrk. He's gonna get an earful when Nel sees him like that!" Nnoitora said through his laughter.

"Honestly, Nnoitora, do you _have_ to act like an imbecile in private as well?" Ulquiorra rolled his eyes.

"Ah, shut up, Ulqui. I was only teasin' him," the tall raven recovered from his laugh attack and sat on the stool next to his bandmate's bed. He started to spin in circles on it. "What tha hell happened, Grimm?"

"Some fucking _stupid-ass-little-cocksucking-redhead_ hit me with his car! My bike is totally fucked up!"

"We know. We picked it up earlier," Ulquiorra informed him.

"And then he had the gall ta waltz in here an' imply that it was my fault!"

"_Was_ it your fault, Grimm?" Starrk asked, knowing his younger brother had problems with admitting his mistakes.

"It _wasn't_. I'm fucking sure of that, Starrk," he responded sharply.

"No need to snap, man. It's just that we know you can be too proud to admit your mistakes sometimes," Starrk said.

"Yeah, you tend ta have your ass on your shoulders more than a normal person," Nnoitora said, still spinning on the stool. "That ego is gonna hurt ya one day."

"_Shut up_, Nnoitora," Grimmjow said.

"Surprisingly, he's right, Grimmjow," Ulquiorra said, followed by a faint "Hey!" by Nnoitora in regards to the comment. "Just because we're famous, doesn't mean we can do whatever we want without consequences. You seem to be the only one of us that hasn't learned that yet. Though, it seems you have now." Grimmjow just rolled his eyes at the lecture he had gotten so many times since their band blew up.

"Listen to him, Grimm, he's only trying to help," Starrk said.

"Yeah, well, I didn't _ask_ for his _help_," Grimmjow retorted causing quiet sighs from both Ulquiorra and Starrk.

"Wow...being cramped up in here has made ya a real catty bastard, hasn't it?" Nnoitora scoffed.

"_Yes_! Can you guys get me out of here? My legs feel like lead!"

"I'm afraid not, Grimm," Ulquiorra said, using Grimmjow's nickname to show his sympathy. "Your doctor told us that until we can find you a personal nurse to take care of you at home, you can't leave."

"Goddamn it...Can't be that hard to find one right?"

"Well actually, we have been looking. But for some reason, they've all been caught up with other homecall patients," Ulquiorra mentioned.

"Fuckin' great...So there's no way I can get out of here?"

"Not at the moment, no," Starrk said sympathetically. "Not unless you want to be fucked up more by our raving fans outside," he added as a joke.

"Uh-oh," Nnoitora said looking down at his phone.

"What? What is it?" Grimmjow asked.

"Nel's on her way," Nnoitora said with an actual concerned face. Everyone froze for a moment before Ulquiorra spoke:

"Well, we'll be back, Grimmjow." The green-eyed man said.

"W-Wait, what? D-Don't leave me!" The bluenette stuttered, scared of being left alone with Nelliel.

"Try not to cause trouble until tomorrow," Ulquiorra said then hastily tugged on Starrk's shirt to get him out of the room. Starrk followed without hesitation.

"Man, Starrk needs to man up and fuck Ulquiorra already. I know I would've," Nnoitora commented.

"Yeah, we know _you_ would," Grimmjow said and rolled his eyes.

"Hey, I do what I do," Nnoitora said and shrugged.

"Whatever."

"I'll send Shawlong and Di Roy here later. Seeya, man," the tall man said and ruffled his hair then left, leaving Grimmjow alone to his thoughts.

* * *

"Shiro...I know I've said this a million times, but I am _sorry_."

No response.

Ichigo shook his head. Shirosaki hadn't come out of the garage for a long time. And it was starting to worry Ichigo. He offered the albino some help with his car, but he didn't receive so much as a glance. He made lunch for him, but it would go untouched until Ichigo came and cleaned it up. Ichigo was used to Shirosaki's silent treatments, but this had gone on for an entire _week_. Ichigo knew his roommate was sensitive about his car, but really, it wasn't a big deal. The car could easily be fixed, and Shiro was taking longer than necessary to go get it worked on by a professional. But it didn't matter. Ichigo promised Shiro and himself that he'd find a good paying job, work his ass off, and pay for the repairs on his friends car.

And maybe the motorcycle he destroyed as well. Ichigo just sighed and continued to do his schoolwork. He only had a few more weeks of his classes before the break and he needed to focus. But with this whole crash investigation, he hadn't been able to do much work. The police had been asking him a few questions about what happened and Ichigo didn't understand why it took so long. Apparently they had already spoken to Grimmjow, but he wasn't much help no longer than five minutes. Speaking of Grimmjow...he hadn't visited the man this entire week. Partly because he tried to kill him, but also because of his academics. But he couldn't fight the urge to go see him. Ichigo put his books and things away then put on his coat and scarf.

He sent an unanswered goodbye to Shirosaki then excited the apartment. It was cold out so he zipped up his jacket. Since it took about 30 minutes to walk there, Ichigo decided to take the bus. When he arrived at the hospital, he moved through the crowd then signed in and walked towards Grimmjow's room. There were two large men standing in front of the door when he got there. One was tall with long black hair in a ponytail. The other was shorter with shaggy blond hair and jagged teeth.

"Um, excuse me," Ichigo said.

"Name?" The one with the ponytail asked.

"..." Ichigo didnt understand why he needed to give them his name. "Ichigo Kurosaki?" The blond one took out a notebook and opened it to a certain page.

"Nope. Sorry," he said with a sly tone. "It's so funny isn't it, Shawlong? Some people think that they can just enter a persons room when they want. Keep it steppin', punk."

"Calm yourself, Di Roy," Shawlong said sternly and Di Roy shut his mouth. "I'm sorry, sir, but you are not on the list of people authorized to see Mr. Jaegerjaques."

"_Mr_. Jaegerjaques?" Ichigo mumbled to himself. "Well, _I'm_ the one who accidentally hit him. I thought it'd be ok to see him." The two guards went silent and wide-eyed.

"So you're the redhead Mr. Jaegerjaques was talking about...are you _sure_ you want to go in _there_?" Shawlong asked, his tone subliminally telling him not to.

But Ichigo nodded anyway. Shawlong nudged Di Roy and the younger man moved aside. Ichigo walked into the room and was immediately spotted by Grimmjow.

"So, you've finally come to accept your death sentence? 'Cause I'm _gonna_ kill ya," the man on the bed uttered simply. Ichigo scoffed.

"No. I actually came here to check on you again," the redhead said. "I know you're probably still angry at me, but I _am_ the one who do this to you. I feel somewhat compelled to come and make sure you're ok." Grimmjow just rolled his eyes at the kids politeness. "And I came to tell you that I'll be getting a job so I can pay for the damage on your motorcycle." This last comment sparked a hearty laugh to erupt from Grimmjow's throat.

"How old are you?! Like 12?" He laughed harder. Ichigo blushed and frowned in pure embarrassment.

"I'm not 12! I'm-" He was quickly interrupted.

"Do you even know how much that bike cost _me_? How would _you_ get _that_ kind of money? A lemonade stand?" The bluenette started laughing again and threw his head back.

"I'm _not_ 12! I'm _17_!" Grimmjow was surprised at the young mans sudden outburst. "And I _will_ find a way to pay you back, so stop mocking me! Working is not that hard! I can make time. But I _have_ to pay you back! I wouldn't forgive myself if I didn't," Ichigo said staunchly. Before any awkward silence ensued, they both heard commotion outside.

"No, Ms. Nelliel wait!" Shawlong shouted before the door was kicked open.

Ichigo watched as a woman with sea-green hair and waltzed past him towards Grimmjow. Said bluenette squeezed his eyes shut as he knew what was coming. A loud _thwack_ echoed in the hospital room followed by Grimmjow's shouting.

"What the _fuck_, Nelliel?!" Grimmjow held his now sore and throbbing jaw.

Ichigo was confused even more when the strange woman started sniffling.

"Grimmjow, you idiot!" She shouted and wiped her eyes. "Do you have any idea how worried we were about you!?" She wrapped her arms around him and sobbed more.

"Ow! Nel!" Grimmjow shouted, feeling pressure being put on his injured ribs. He started coughing up blood and wheezing.

"Miss, you're hurting him!" Ichigo shouted then ran over.

Nelliel released Grimmjow and gasped when she saw the blood seeping through the bandages on his chest. Ichigo went to the cabinets of the room and pulled out gloves and a syringe. He put on the gloves and filled the syringe with clear fluid then grabbed some gauzes and bandages. After attaching the syringe to the needle from Grimmjow's IV, he pushed the fluid into his bloodstream.

"What's that?" Nelliel asked worriedly.

"It's just morphine. It'll help with the pain," Ichigo informed her. Grimmjow stopped coughing and his chest stopped bleeding. He yawned and quickly fell asleep. "He'll be asleep for a while but he'll be fine."

"Thank you so much!" Nelliel said then pulled Ichigo into a bone crushing hug. "I'm Nelliel. Nel for short," she said as she released him.

"Ichigo. Nice to meet you." Ichigo had almost forgotten the events that took place infront of him in the last three minutes. "So...Why did you _punch_ him?" Nelliel sighed.

"Grimm is really reckless and he doesn't care. He knows how much of a dangerous bastard we all think he is, but he still tries to do what he wants. And we seldom punish him for it because we think he'll eventually learn his lesson. But I didn't think this would happen!" Nelliel buried her face in her hands. "But thanks to you, Grimmjow didn't die today," she said with a smile.

"Well, I couldn't let him _die_. That wouldn't be right," Ichigo said.

"Hmm..." Nelliel went into deep thought then came up with an idea. "Would you be interested in being Grimmjow's personal caretaker?" She asked enthusiastically. Ichigo looked dumbfounded.

Personal nurse?

To Grimmjow?

_Hell no_, the teen thought.

"Um...I don't think that's a good idea..." Ichigo mumbled.

"And why not? You clearly have experiences and I heard earlier through the door that you were looking for a job! This is perfect for you!"

"I don't think Grimmjow would want _me_ to be his personal caretaker..."

"Why? What's wrong with you?"

"I'm the one who hit him. He hates me. Plus, I need a job that can help me fix my friends car _and_ Grimmjows motorcycle and help me pay for school," Ichigo said sadly. "I'm sure there's another job I could do to make the money."

"How about this! I'll pay for everything if you take care of Grimmjow! School, the damages, everything! Just be his personal nurse and I'll take care of _everything_!" Nelliel said cheerily.

Ichigo thought about it for a minute. On one hand, he could take care of Grimmjow, the arrogant asshat of a vocalist, and probably get paid _over_ what he needed. Or, he could struggle and crawl his way up from the bottom and _still_ have no money.

"Deal," he said with a defeated sigh. Nelliel squealed in happiness then went to go fill out some paperwork for Grimmjow's discharge. Ichigo looked back to the sleeping man then shook his head.

_What have I gotten myself into_? He asked himself.

* * *

**I apologize for any mistakes.**

**I know I didn't get into Ichigo and Shirosaki's relationship as much as I thought I would. But I'm still going to do a chapter mostly about them, I just don't know when. So I hope you guys enjoyed that and keep reading!**

**-EMAE**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: What! An update on time? No way! XD**

**Yes, it's time for another chapter! I want to address that I had no idea I was making it seem like everyone is taking Grimmy's side. If it does seem that way, that definitely wasn't my intention. Everyone kinda know's it was his fault, but maybe I should express that a little more so people will know.**

**On another note...the ****_plot bunnies_****...oh god, the ****_plot bunnies_****. I want to finish this ****_so_**** bad. But wanna do other stuff too! DX I had another idea for Bleach. And a random one for The Hunger Games while writing ****_this_****! The frikkin ****_Hunger Games_****. Wtf!? And they won't stop invading the garden of my mind and eating away my inspiration lettuce! I'm really trying to focus on one story at a time, but it's ****_so_**** hard!**

**But enough about ****_my_**** troubles. I wrote this for ****_you_****, my beautiful readers! So, as always, I can only hope that you...**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Ichigo walked into his apartment with a sigh. Could he really handle being a personal caretaker to _Grimmjow Jaegerjaques_ of all people? He barely knew the man, yet he already wanted to break his bones all over again. But that was just his temper talking. He knew the accident wasn't completely his fault. In fact, he knew the majority of it was the bluenette's responsibility. The judge of their case ordered that both his and Grimmjow's license be suspended. Though Grimmjow only got his motorcycle license suspended, so he could still drive a car. It wasn't fair, but Ichigo wasn't really concerned. He just wanted to pay for the damages and his tuition. Mostly his tuition. Besides, he didn't even have a car anyway and Shirosaki wouldn't _ever_ let him drive his again. Speaking of the albino, Ichigo waited at the door for him to open it. He'd forgotten his keys _again_.

_Gotta work on that_, he thought irritably to himself.

A few more minutes of nocking and he heard the door unlock. No one opened it so he had to himself. He assumed Shiro was still giving him his childish silent treatment. He watched his half-naked roomate waltz back to his room and shut the door. Ichigo decided to try and communicate later. He had a lot of homework to do. He hadn't been able to get any schoolwork done due to the whole court thing and his teachers were thankfully allowing him to make up work. But it was a lot of work. He still questioned why he had chosen to go to college a whole two years before he had to. His friends were still in their junior year in high school, but he had skipped all the way into university. He knew he was smart enough to do it, but it was still tiring.

Plus he didn't want to rely on his dad for money. It was the easiest way, but he wanted to be an adult now. His dad told him he could and _should_ lean on him since he was still a minor. But Ichigo wanted to learn to survive on his own. Shiro—who was still his best friend at the time—lived by himself and invited Ichigo to stay with him. He didn't know what the albino did for money because he never left the house much, but he never questioned it. Since Shiro had been putting all the money forward, Ichigo agreed to do all the house work. But now he needed to step up and make the money too, since he had to start paying for books, a laptop, and other paraphernalia necessary for school. So he guessed he was in luck with getting this relatively easy job, but he sure didn't feel like it.

He sat down on the couch and opened his textbook and notepad. A few minutes into his work, he heard a few faint thumps and looked up. He ignored them then went back to his work only to be distracted when Shiro's door opened and a woman walked out. Well, he wouldn't say _walked_ out. More like she limped. Shiro was known around the neighborhood for his sexual prowess, which is why he had a different girl with him everyday. Ichigo sighed quietly as she attempted to smile at him and he watched the disheveled girl make her way out of their home. His eyes flickered over to Shiro who had a slight smirk on his face until he caught his eyes. His grin disappeared and so did he with a slam of his door. Ichigo rolled his eyes.

_Immature asshole_, he thought.

Though, Shirosaki hadn't always been like that. Back when they were in highschool, he didn't sleep around with every girl who gave him a second glance. Even though the albino's parents were dead, he never once let it affect him. Shiro was always smiling and making everyone laugh with his jokes and pranks. And no one could separate the two of them. Ichigo remembered his dad once mentioned that they were probably two halts of the same soul. The red-head smiled at the memory. But things changed when they got into highschool. Shiro started to act strange. He didn't want to hang out with anyone but Ichigo and pushed away everyone that tried to get close to him. He even secretly told off Orihime when she told Ichigo how she felt about him.

She ran off crying and didn't speak to anyone for a week. To this day, no one knows exactly what he said to her, but she refers to him as '_that white Demon_.' One day when Ichigo and Shirosaki were hanging out at the park, the albino started to say wierd stuff. He was fidgeting and turning red as he struggled to get out what he wanted to say. Then, he finally did. He told Ichigo that he was in love with him and asked him to go out with him. At first Ichigo was dumbstruck. He didn't expect Shiro to blurt out something like that. Who _would_ expect their best friend to say _that_? Ichigo didn't even know if he was attracted to _anyone_, so how could he answer? And the thought of dating his best friend...now _that_ was weird.

After thinking it over, he hastily said no and told him he had to go. The albino just stood there alone in the park and watched the red-head run home. Ichigo didn't mean to reject him so harshly, but the information that was just relayed to him was so shocking. He meant to apologize, so he waited for him to show at the park where the two met after school. But he didn't show up that day. Or for the next year. Ichigo didn't know that what happened would affect their friendship, then he realized that was foolish. Shiro had dropped out of school and Ichigo didn't see him for the next two years. When he did see him again, it was back at the park. He was hanging with Renji and Chad when he saw the familiar pale figure making out with some chick against a tree.

He called for him, and was surprised with what he saw when he ran over. Shiro had tattoos, he got his ears pierced multiple times, and he'd gotten even paler—if that was possible. They caught up, and Ichigo tried to convince him to come back to school. But he wasn't having it. He'd gotten accustomed to his new life, and he wasn't planning on going back to his old one. Ichigo finally gave up and just decided to let Shirosaki live his own life. The red-head told him that he'd be going to college in a few weeks and Shiro told him he could stay with him since he lived near the campus. They gradually became best friends again, but things were still tense. It seemed like Shiro still held on to what happened, but it also seemed like he didn't.

It wasn't until he moved in with the albino did he see how much he'd really changed. He had parties almost every night, drunk till he was out cold even though he was still underaged, and carelessly screwed every girl who so much as smiled at him. Ichigo snapped back to the present and could feel the muscles in his face getting sore from scowling for so long. He couldn't ignore the fact that he felt responsible for why Shiro was this way. Blaming himself for things was a bad habit of his. Maybe if things would've been different, so would Shiro. What if he had...said yes? Before he could think any further, his phone started to ring. He saw the caller ID and immediately picked up.

"Ms. Nel?" He answered.

"_Ichigo_! I told you to just call me '_Nel_!' '_Ms. Nel_' makes me feel so old! I'm only 20 you know!" The green-haired woman replied.

"Sorry. What's up, Nel?"

"Hm? Oh! Um, do you think you could start tomorrow?" Ichigo's jaw dropped.

"_T-Tomorrow_? B-But I have to-"

"Please, Ichigo?" Nel interrupted. "I have to go run a few errands and I can't take care of Grimmjow."

"So, I'm going to be there with him _alone_? He's gonna kill me!" The red-head crossed his arms.

"You won't be alone! His brothers will be there wih you."

"You mean there's _more_ than one?" Ichigo asked with widened eyes.

"Don't worry! Starrk and Ggio are nothing like Grimm. They're _much_ more tolerable," she assured him.

Ichigo sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He had a shit-load of homework to make up for the past two weeks. But he needed the money so he could keep going to school and pay for Shirosaki's damages. Though he didn't really have any other options.

"Fine. Ok. What time should I be there?" He agreed.

"Nine would be great!" Nel replied happily. "Let me give you the address."

Ichigo nodded then wrote down where he was supposed to go then walked towards Shiro's room. With a sigh, he knocked a few times. Of course there was no answer.

"Shiro, I just wanted to tell you that I got a good paying job and I'll be paying for your car as soon as possible." There was a bit of silence before Shiro actually spoke:

"What's the job?" He mumbled.

"I have to nurse the guy I hit back to health. Luckily, it'll pay for his damages, yours, and for school."

"Damn. Whoever this guy is, he must be loaded. Who is it?" Shiro asked through the door.

"His name is Grimmjow Jaegerjaques." When Shiro didn't reply, Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Shiro?" The door was snatched open Shirosaki had a shocked look on his face.

"_Who_?" He said as if he'd just seen a ghost.

"Grimmjow Jaegerjaques. Why?" Ichigo asked curiously.

"Do you _know_ who he is?"

"Um...the guy I hit with your car?"

"Oh my god, _that's_ why it was cancelled!" Shiro growled.

"Wait, why what was cancelled? Shiro!" Ichigo tried to find out what his roommate was talking about before the door was slammed in his face. "What?"

The orange-head walked over to his laptop and opened it. Shirosaki made it seem like Grimmjow was someone important so he wanted to find out exactly who he was. He typed in the blunette's name and was astonished at how many results came up. He clicked on the first one and a _huge_ picture of Grimmjow in tight boxer-briefs and handcuffs while biting his lip popped up. Red crept up Ichigo's neck and settled in his face before he slammed his laptop closed. He tried to blink away his embarrassment and gulped.

_So, he's a p-porn star?_... He thought awkwardly.

Ichigo boldly opened his laptop again and quickly scrolled past the vulgar picture. A big headline saying _**"Will You Be At The Espada's Next Show? Get Tickets Now!"**_ caught his attention and he clicked on that. A picture of Grimmjow holding a microphone surrounded by three other guys was at the top of the web page underneath _**"The Espadas."**_ One had his brown hair in a ponytail and was holding a black and red bass guitar. Another, deathly pale with shoulder-length black hair, had piercing green eyes and looked focused as he slammed on the drums. The other was the tallest, almost towering over the others. He held a twelve-string electric guitar and was singing into the mic with Grimmjow. Ichigo scrolled down more and saw another large headline.

**_"Espada Platinum Palooza Cancelled!"_**He read on:**_"Sorry to all you die-hard Espada fans out there, but the upcoming celebration of the Espada's double platinum album has been cancelled!"_**

Double_ platinum? Good god, how come I've never heard of them?_ He asked himself then continued to read.

_**"We are sorry to inform that Grimmjow, our lead vocalist, has been in a terrible traffic accident. The rock star was in critical condition up until a few days ago. He has been sent home for extensive private care and the platinum palooza has been postponed until further notice. But don't worry! Our superstar will recover and the party will go on! Give your shout outs to him below!"**_

A large arrow pointed down to a box to say a comment. The number of comments had reached well over 300 million. Ichigo sat still in shock. So he'd hit a _rock star_ with Shiro's car that night. And not just any rock star, Grimmjow Jaegerjaques, lead vocalist of The Espadas. That explained a lot. The crowd outside, the bodyguards, Shiro's sudden anger a few minutes ago. And just Ichigo's luck, Shiro had been in love with that band for three years. Ichigo recognized the name but didnt know that _Grimmjow_ of all people was a member. That would make Shiro even more pissed at him. He was supposed to go to that party, but it was cancelled because Ichigo hit the damn _lead singer_. If word got out that _he_ was the one who did it, extreme die-hard fans would ensure his death. Things couldn't have gotten worse.

Of course, they always do when that is said.

* * *

**What!? Ichi you didn't know!? He's ****_Grimmy J_**** for cryin out loud! Ha, I found it hilarious that he had no idea. ****_All the signs were there!_**** Clueless Ichi is so adorable! And I hope you guys enjoyed that ****_clichéd_**** little back story for Ichi and Shiro. That's how it really came to me!**

**Personally, this chapter was boring to me until the very end. But I still love this story so much that I don't care! I hope you guys liked it!**

**I need reviews to know how I'm doing! (╯°□°) ╯︵ ┻━┻**

**So type it up in that little box below please! Love ya!**

**R&R!**

**-EMAE**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: MY BIRTHDAY WAS AWESOME! So, yeah, I had a great time! All my family came to see me and gave me money! I bought myself Insurgent, which is the second book in this series I'm reading, and I couldn't put it down! I read 316 pages in 3 hours! 0_0 and that's why this chapter may be late...^.^' sorry...but hey! I updated for you guys!**

**Oh yeah! I almost forgot! I got two reviews on my Hunger Games story so I'm super excited about that too! I know it's only two, but I'm still happy! And they said really nice things too!**

**Anyway, enjoy your Spring Break! Otherwise, if you already had it like me, get ready to go back to school...-.-**

**Happy Easter and Enjoy!**

* * *

Ichigo felt weird riding in the back of a black Mercedes. The driver kept looking back at him and it was creeping him out. His jagged teeth reminded him of a shark's or the blades on a chainsaw. He was relieved when they pulled up to a enormous three-story house. Compared to his place, it made him feel like a street rat. Ichigo awkwardly thanked the driver and watched him go park before he walked up to the door. He knocked then stood patiently with Grimmjow's black shirt in his hands. The shirt had been left in Shiro's car after he hit the blunette. It was covered with old blood so Ichigo took the liberty of washing it for him. He knocked a little harder before he heard someone yell.

"I'm comin'!" A voice shouted.

Ichigo stepped back when the door swung open. A raven-haired boy a few years younger than him stood in the way.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"Um...Ichigo Kurosaki. I'm supposed to be Grimmjow's caretaker," he answered and scratched the back of his head.

"Likely story," the boy said and rolled his eyes. "You wouldn't imagine how many people came here saying they were '_here to take care of Grimmjow_.'" He made an air quoting gesture and rolled his eyes again. Ichigo scowled at his rudeness and crossed his arms. "Hey, Starrk!" The boy looked over and shouted. "This one's name is Ichigo Kurosaki! Do I let him in?" There was a faint response that Ichigo couldn't quite hear before the boy turned back around. "You're in luck. It seems you were the one we were waiting for," he said then walked inside and gestured for him to enter.

Ichigo followed but looked around as he did so. There were lots of pictures of Grimmjow with a mic in his hands surrounded by the other guys and another of them leaning against a tour bus. There were also framed gold records scattered among the pictures.

_Sheesh, they must be _really _good_, Ichigo thought. He followed the boy to the stairs where a man he recognized from the pictures was standing at the top.

"Oh, God..." He muttered. The man slid lazily down the spiral staircase and landed at their feet.

"What's wrong?" The boy asked him.

"Grimmjow. Won't. Stop. _Talking_," he said and covered his face with his hands then sighed. "It's that medicine they gave him...I guess it fucks up his emotions or whatever, but shit, he won't shut up!" The raven-haired boy sighed then turned back to Ichigo.

"I'm Ggio, and this is Starrk. We're Grimmjow's brothers," he said with a hint of remorse making Ichigo almost laugh.

_Well, _they _don't seem to bad_, the orange-head thought.

They all looked up when someone swung themself over the railing upstairs and slammed down on their feet. Ichigo's eye's widened at the impossibly tall man with a bandana over half of his face.

"That's. _It_. I'm out. Bastard won't shut the fuck up," he grumbled.

"And this _beanpole_ is Nnoitora," Ggio said smugly.

"Yeah, whatever, nice ta meet ya," he lazily shook Ichigo's hand, "Ggio, yer a little _shit_," he stuck a long finger in Ggio's smirking face, "and Starrk, before I bust your brother's fuckin' teeth in, I'm goin' ta Nel's house. I need ta get some fuckin' sleep." And with that, he stormed out of the mansion with a slam of the door. Ggio laughed a bit and sighed.

"Don't worry, he's usually an _angel_ in the morning. So anyway, now you know what you're dealing with. I suggest you get up there and do your job," Ggio stated before someone else came down the stairs. Ichigo couldn't believe how pale he was.

"Good luck," he said in an almost dead tone and heade towards the door.

"Where ya going, Ulqui?" Starrk sat up and asked.

"Home. I stayed here to make sure Grimmjow was ok, but I can't do _this_. He _sounds_ fine, so I'm leaving," Ulquiorra informed the group then left.

"Well, that's that," Ggio said before turning and walking off. Starrk—who was still on the floor—grabbed his little brother's ankle and stopped him from going anyway.

"You're going with us," he said and stood up. Ggio huffed and followed him upstairs. Ichigo shrugged then followed the two.

When they got upstairs, Ichigo could faintly hear someone shouting down the hall. Ggio groaned and covered his ears then tried to enter a door they were passing, but Starrk grabbed him again and kept him walking forward. The three of them came to the end of the hall and Starrk opened the door. The first thing Ichigo noticed was that Grimmjow had a huge room. His bed and pillows were_huge_, Ichigo wondered if they even made them that big. They must've been custom made. The thing that snapped him from admiring the room was Grimmjow's loud singing. Ichigo winced and watched as the bluenette shouted some incoherent song at the top of his lungs. He briefly stopped to cough into his hands then continued shouting.

"STAAAAARRK! HAVE YA HEARD THE NEW SONG I WROTE FOR THE BAND!?" He shouted when he noticed his brother.

"_Grimm_, the doctor said _not to strain your voice_ or you'll _never_ be able to sing again," Starrk responded calmly as if he was talking to a three-year old.

"BUT I WANT YOU TA HEAR THE SONG!" The bluenette shouted again.

"THAT'S NOT A FUCKING _SONG_! YOU SOUND LIKE A DYING WALRUS!" Starrk lost his cool and shouted at his brother. Ichigo and Ggio scooted away from him and stood to the side of the room. That only made Grimmjow start laughing and pointing at him.

"Calm down, man! Why're ya yellin at me? This is _our_ house, use your _inside_ voice." Grimmjow raised an eyebrow at Starrk who was rapidly growing red. Instead of blowing up again, Starrk ran his fingers through his thick brown hair and sighed. He turned around and held a hand out at his humming brother.

"Fix him," he said to Ichigo, "_please_."

"I-I'll _try_," he said and hesitantly stepped forward. Grimmjow was humming some off-beat, out of tune song and bobbing his head. Something was definitely wrong here. How bad had he hit the man? Did he make him mentally retarded or something? "Um...Grimmjow?" He said and tapped his shoulder. The blunette flinched and smacked his hand away.

"Shit! When the _fuck_ did you get over here?" He asked genuinely suprised. Ichigo raised and eyebrow and turned back to Starrk who just shook his head.

"Ok...Can you lay back? I need to check you," Ichigo asked and reached into his bag for the little flashlight.

"Na. Busy. 'Sides, I don't like you," he said and kept bobbing his head.

"NO!" Ggio shouted when he saw Grimmjow's mouth open slightly. But that didn't stop the next song from bursting out his mouth. Ichigo recoiled and covered his ears. The bastard had shouted right in his ear and he was pissed off.

"HEY!" Ichigo snapped making Grimmjow be quiet. "Shut up! You shouted right in my fucking ear, and now you've put me in a bad mood. I just want to do my job so that I can go home and do my schoolwork. So I'd appreciate it if you'd _shut the fuck up_ so we can get this over with!" Grimmjow eyes were slightly widened at the surprising outburst from Ichigo. But he laid back without taking his eyes off of him. "Thank you," Ichigo said then turned on the flashlight.

He had to tell Grimmjow to stop fidgeting before he shined the beam into his eye. It was only then that he realized how blue they were. They were like two sapphires embedded to substitute for his iris'.

"Holy _shit_." He stood then turned to Starrk. "His pupils are as wide as saucers. How much of that medicine did you give him?"

"Well...we—" Ggio started.

"They may have given him more than humanely acceptable," Starrk said then shrugged.

"Why would you do that?" Ichigo asked, thinking they were crazy.

"Grimm kept sayin that he was in pain, and no matter how much me and Nnoitora gave him, he said it wouldn't go away, so we gave him all we had," Ggio informed the orange-head.

"So...it didn't occur to you guys that it might've taken _time_ for the drug to work?" Ichigo asked then crossed his arms.

Ggio went tight-lipped and Starrk sighed then pinched the bridge of his nose, followed by smacking Ggio in the back of the head. Grimmjow's hums started to get louder and Ggio groaned.

"Can we _please_ sedate him?" He pleaded. Ichigo shook his head.

"Nope. He's already overdosed as it is. The only thing you can do it wait it out," he said and shrugged.

"Fuck that," Starrk scoffed then walked past Ichigo. "Hey Grimm!"

"Yeah?" The blunette turned around and answered, only to be socked in the face by Starrk's heavy fist. His eyes rolled back in his head and he fell back straight into his pillows.

"Why the hell would you do that?!" Ichigo shouted at him then opened Grimmjow's eye. He was out cold.

"Now he'll sleep it off. I'm going to do the same thing," Starrk said calmly and yawned then walked out of the room.

"What the hell?" Ichigo mumbled.

"That's what happens when Starrk gets angry," Ggio responded in a shaky voice. "But feel lucky, he's gotten worse." They both heard loud snoring from down the hall and knew that Starrk was sleeping.

"Well..." Ichigo said and turned back to the knocked out blunette. He seemed to be sleeping now. "I guess we could just wait for him to wake up."

"Wanna go watch TV?" Ggio suggested.

"Sure."

They both went downstairs and Ggio turned on the large flat screen. He went to get something to drink and asked Ichigo what kind of soda he liked. They watched whatever came on until a car pull up into the driveway. The door opened and Nnoitora came in followed by Nelliel.

"I still don't understand why ya insisted on coming _back_ after I told ya what happened," Nnoitora sighed.

"Shut up, Nnoi. I needed to check on Grimm anyway. And Ichigo, too," Nelliel said and rolled her eyes. Nnoitora was quiet for a moment before his eyes widened.

"It's _too_ quiet. Ggio, did Grimm _die_ or something?" He asked.

"Na, Starrk just knocked him out," Ggio answered with a slight chuckle.

"Aww man! And no one wanted ta call me so I could see it?" He whined. Ichigo came out of the bathroom and was attacked by Nelliel.

"Ichigo!" She squealed and squeezed him. "So how'd it go? I hope Grimmjow wasn't too much trouble," she asked.

"Um..." He wheezed before she let him go. "It wasn't too bad, but someone more responsible needs to monitor his drug intake. If he'd had less, he wouldn't have been acting like a lunatic all day," Ichigo rolled his eyes. "But I'll ask my dad if they have any other medicine that doesn't do that to him."

"Thank you so much, Ichigo. We'd be lost without you," Nelliel said then hugged him again.

"No problem," he responded with a smile.

Though, he wasn't entirely sure if it would or wouldn't be a problem. Grimmjow had proved to be a problem at the hospital and here, so Ichigo didn't know what would happen in the future. A few hours later, everyone was surprised when they heard someone shout.

"WHAT THE FUCK!?"

"Well, he's awake now," Ggio said.

They all went upstairs and found Grimmjow cradling his nose and trying to keep blood from flowing out. Ichigo reached into his bag and pulled out some tissue and reached towards him.

"Don't fuckin touch me," he snarled and snatched the tissue.

"Sorry," Ichigo mumbled and scowled.

"Where's Starrk? I'm gonna shove my foot up his ass," he growled and spit a bit of blood.

"Can I help?" Ichigo asked, seeing he was doing a poor job at fixing his nose. Grimmjow shoved the bloody tissue at him and let him do it.

"Grimm, he had a pretty good fuckin reason ta knock ya out," Nnoitora laughed.

"Shut the fuck up. I'll kick yer ass, too," he said with a clogged nose. Ichigo took the opportunity to snap his nose back earning a shout from the blunette. "Get away from me!" He shouted.

"Grimm, he was only trying to help," Nelliel tried to reason with him.

"I didn't _ask_ fer help! Leave me the fuck alone!" He shouted and started coughing. "Get...out!" He said between coughs. Everyone looked to Ichigo and left after he nodded. Grimmjow noticed everyone file out except for Ichigo, who was intent on getting his job done. "Why...why're ya still here? I said...get out!" He shouted and coughed again.

"No. I still have to change your bandages."

"Why do _you_...care?" He coughed again. Ichigo sighed.

"Honestly, you've driven me to the point where I almost don't. But, I have a job to do. And I can't get it done if you're dead, can I?" Ichigo answered and gestured towards his chest.

Grimmjow kept coughing and looked down at his bandaged up chest. A spot of blood was there and he could feel more warmth seeping out with every cough. Without waiting for a response, Ichigo got on the bed and started unwrapping his bloody bandages. He could see the deep purple marks on his chest and back and the bleeding wound on his chest. He knew that Grimmjow's lung was not completely healed, which is why he was bleeding and coughing right now. Ichigo went into his closet and brought out the machine that would suck all of the blood from inside his chest. Grimmjow continued to cough and shook his head.

"No..." He breathed.

"You're gonna drown in your blood if I don't get that blood out," Ichigo told him. "Just relax," he said softly and helped him to lay back.

He slowly slid the smallest tube down Grimmjow's throat and turned it on the lowest setting. Grimmjow gripped the sheets at the feeling of the air getting sucked out of him. Ichigo told him to relax again and he started breathing calmly through his nose. As the blood was being taken out, Ichigo went about cleaning Grimmjow's wounds. He started with the large one that went diagonally across his chest because that was the one that was currently bleeding. He carefully pushed him on his side so that he could clean his back before he re-wrapped his abdomen. He cleaned his arms and the small scrapes on his cheek and collar bone. Grimmjow's wrist was still slightly broken since they had only rearranged half of the bones so far.

The torn muscles in his shoulder were surprisingly fully healed it still hurt him because it was sore. A steel rod was put into his left shin to support him, but he still couldn't walk on it yet. Still, Ichigo was astonished at how quickly the man had recovered. It was like he was superhuman or something. When he was finished, he took the tube from Grimmjow's throat and the man rubbed his neck. He sighed and leaned back into his pillows. He looked upset and didn't say anything when Ichigo finished.

"So...I guess I'll be back tomorrow," Ichigo said awkwardly.

Grimmjow ignored him and turned the TV on and crossed his arms then sunk deeper into his pillows. Ichigo could tell that Grimmjow was angry about being so helpless, but there really wasn't anything he could do about it. The orange-head walked down the stairs where Nelliel met him at the bottom.

"Thank you, Ichigo," she said then hugged him. "Even if Grimmjow doesn't act like it, he really does appreciate what you're doing."

"I find that hard to believe," Ichigo said with a slight laugh.

"Well, _I_ appreciate it. You're saving his life in a way," she said. Ichigo just shrugged. "Oh! That reminds me, would you rather receive your money daily or at the end of each week?"

"I think at the end of the week would keep me organized," he said thoughtfully, "But I guess—"

"Dang, I wish I would've asked you earlier," Nelliel said. "Well, I have your pay for today. Can I give it to you now?" She asked.

"Sure, I guess," he said. His mouth shot open when she pulled out a wad of cash an handed it to him. "Th-Thanks," he said sheepishly.

Nelliel nodded and smiled at him. He had never really held that much money at once before. She called the driver to take him home again, but Ichigo insisted he'd take the bus. The teen kind of didn't want to ride with that driver again. When he got home, he was happy that he hadn't forgotten his key. He opened the door and entered, expecting a loud and rowdy party, but instead finding the place empty. Ichigo could slightly hear music and that told him Shirosaki was home. He pulled out the money he was given today and decided to just give it all to him now. He opened the door and saw the albino hanging upside down reading some comic. The teen tossed the was of cash onto his bare stomach and leaned against his doorframe. Ichigo noticed Shiro's friend in the corner, but he didn't say anything. Shirosaki sat up and took the money from his abdomen and took the clip off. He started counting and once he passed a certain amount, his eyes widened and _kept_ counting. He stopped counting and looked up at Ichigo, his eyes wide. Ichigo just shrugged and left to go to his own room. He internally laughed at Shiro's reaction because he knew the albino wouldn't be mad after he paid him back.

_Now I just have to worry about school_, he thought as he opened a textbook.

* * *

**_Damn_, this chapter was _long_. Well, long for _me_ anyway. I don't really have an opinion about this chapter, but it made me laugh then feel bad, then it made me feel good again. Yay! Now that he's got his money, Shiro's not mad at Ichi anymore!_Shallow much?_ Well, maybe now he'll talk to him and be _involved_ in the frikkin story now! :D I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!**

**Review, please!**

**~_EMAE_**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey all! Uploaded on time! Aw yeah! But anyway, I'm at 40 reviews! WHOO! I'm so happy! Thank you all so much!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

When Ichigo arrived at school the next day, he was surprised at the buzzing atmosphere. Everyone was talking and huddled together in little groups outside the main building.

_What's going on?_ He thought to himself as he looked around.

"Kurosaki!" Someone called him.

He heard a familiar voice and turned to see Uryu waving at him. Uryu had also been skipped into college, so he wasn't totally alone. When he walked over there, everyone was watching something on someone's phone. Ichigo leaned over to watch the video as well.

_**"Manager of the Espadas, Nelliel Tu Odel–Odelsch–O...She spoke to the public today about lead singer, Grimmjow Jaegerjaques, recent injury!"**_ the announcer said.

_**"We are glad to say that Grimmjow is ok and is on a fast road to recovery,"**_ Ichigo recognized Nel when she walked in front of the different microphones.

"Oh, thank God," one of the other students said relived. Ichigo was glad that no one knew that he was the one who hit Grimmjow.

_**"His doctor said that he can't sing for a couple of months,"**_ everyone on the campus simultaneously groaned, **_"but the Platinum Palooza has been rescheduled to a month from now so that Grimmjow has time to get back on his feet,"_** Nelliel said with a smile then proceeded to ask questions.

"Man, I'd hate to be the guy that hit Grimmjow," Ichigo heard one student say as the groups dispatched..

"Yeah," added another, "he's gonna have hell to pay if _anyone_ finds out."

"I heard that the dude who did it goes here!"

"Seriously?"

That only made Ichigo worry even more. Just another problem added to the long list. Now he had to work on keeping it a secret that he was the one who did it. Things could not—_no_, he wasn't even going to finish that thought.

"Something troubling you, Ichigo?" A voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Uryu walked behind him as they headed towards the main building.

"What? No. What would be troubling me?" He replied and tried to hide his nervousness.

"Well, you seem to be a bit nervous after watching that video," Uryu inquired.

"What are you implying, Ishida?" The red-head quickly got defensive.

"Calm down, Kurosaki. I wasn't implying anything, no need to get so hot-blooded all of a sudden. I just never though of you as an Espadas fan, that's all," the raven-haired teen said.

"Who, me? I'm a _huge_ Espadas fan!" He laughed awkwardly and lied to cover up his defensiveness.

"Oh, that's cool, I guess. I've never been a fan myself, but I heard they were good. What genre are they?" Uryu asked.

"Uh..." Ichigo should have known better than to start up a lie. You always have to tell more lies to cover up the first one. Luckily, the bell tone went off signaling everyone to go to class. "Sorry, Ishida, we'll talk later!" Ichigo shouted as he ran.

"You're hanging with us after school, right?" The raven shouted.

He turned to nod, then ran as fast as possible to escape being asked anymore questions.

* * *

After the day was over, Ichigo walked with Uryu to the usual café that all of their friends hung out at. Though it went against his better judgement to go and do his schoolwork, he really wanted to see his friends.

"Ichigo!" Orihime shouted then jumped on said ginger, almost choking him.

"Hi...Orihime..." The teen wheezed.

Ichigo saw his group of friends gathered at a table in the corner when he heard Renji's usual loud voice.

"Holy hell, she's so fuckin hot!" He shook his head when he heard the fire-headed male.

_"Renji!"_ Rukia shouted at him.

"What's going on?" Ichigo asked and sat down.

"Renji's cheating on Rukia," Tatsuki joked.

"Am not!" Renji shouted. "C'mon, Ichigo tell me she's not hot!"

"Who?" Ichigo asked.

"Nelliel, manager of the Espadas!" He said then showed him a picture of her. "Not only is she hot, but she's the _manager_ of my favorite band!"

_Crap_, he thought for the second time that day.

Renji sighed in bliss then looked to Rukia who seemed a bit upset. "C'mon, Rukia, you know you're the only girl for me," he smiled big then pecked her on the forehead. She waved him off before turning to Ichigo.

"Ichigo, it's been forever! How's it been?"

"Yeah. You haven't hung out with us in a while," Chad stated.

Ichigo had half a mind to tell them about the accident, but the other half told him that if he valued his friendships, he'd keep his mouth shut. He trusted his friends enough to tell them, but he wasn't entirely sure they would approve of what happened. Because just-about-fucking-_everyone_ loved the Espadas.

"Uh...it's been ok. I got into an accident two weeks ago, but things have been better," he half lied. "I also got a job that pays really well and—"

"Great! Now you can pay for all those coffees we bought you!" Tatsuki said.

"Shut up, Tatsuki," Ichigo said back.

"Here are your drinks," the waitress placed the drinks down and bowed then walked away.

"I'll pay for you guy's drinks now," Ichigo said with a smile.

Whoops came from Renji and Tatsuki, who picked up their coffees and sipped. After a while, everyone had settled down. Soft music resounded through the café after they had finished their drinks. Rukia had huddled up to Renji while Tatsuki and Chad slowly inched together. Ichigo couldn't help but smile on the inside for his friends. They all seemed pretty happy. Rukia and Renji were still going strong, and Chad and Tatsuki were seeming to finally realize their feelings for each other. And surprisingly enough, even Uryu was getting bolder with Orihime. He was happy for all of them. He'd been thinking of why he hadn't gone and looked for someone himself, but he thought maybe it just wasn't the right time. But still...it'd be nice...

Everyone decided that they'd go home so they discussed when they'd meet up again. Rukia and Renji went on their way and Chad walked home with Tatsuki.

"I'll drive you home, Inoue," Uryu offered to Orihime.

"Sure! Thanks, Uryu," the ginger girl said happily and got into the passenger seat.

"You need a ride, Kurosaki?" The raven-haired teen asked.

"Na. You go and take Orihime home. I gotta go to work," Ichigo replied, knowing that Uryu wanted to drive Orihime with just them two.

The other teen nodded then drove off with the ginger. Ichigo continued down the street and waited at the bus stop. He sent a quick text to Nelliel telling her that he was on his way to Grimmjow's house.

* * *

It took about 20 minutes to get to Grimmjow's house from where he was by bus. He knocked on the door of the big house and waited for someone to answer it. When it opened, he was surprised to see Grimmjow standing there. He still looked battered up, but Ichigo was surprised that the man was _walking_.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Berry Boy! I can't believe you decided ta come back after all _that_ yesterday," the blunette chuckled.

"Don't call me that," Ichigo scowled, "And why are you on your feet? You're not supposed to be walking for another week and a half," he asked curiously.

"Eh, I feel fine. Besides, no way am I staying in bed any longer," he shook his head, "So, ya comin in, or what?" He asked then stepped to the side.

Ichigo followed him inside and was surprised when he smelled cigarette smoke throughout the house. No one else seemed to be here, so who could it have been?

"Grimmjow...have you been _smoking?"_ Ichigo asked.

"Hm? Oh yeah, a little. Why, you got a problem with that?" Grimmjow raised an eyebrow.

"Well—"

"Good, cause I ain't stoppin," he said then slowly sat on the couch. "Wanna watch TV?"

Ichigo furrowed his brow. He knew Grimmjow shouldn't have been smoking because his lungs were still in the healing process. But it didn't look like the man was going listen to him anyway so he sat down among the chips and cookies that were sprawled everywhere. Grimmjow turned on the television and sat back into his specially placed pillows.

_**"Previously on The Walking Dead,"**_ the narrator said grimly.

"Oh cool! I missed this episode!" The blunette said excitedly.

He took out another cigarette and lit it. After a while, Ichigo couldn't just sit there and let Grimmjow reopen the wound in his lung.

"Grimmjow, you shouldn't be smoking," he blurted out. The man didn't respond, but Ichigo knew he heard him because he rolled his eyes and continued to watch the show. Ichigo looked down and saw a small patch of blood grow bigger with each inhale of smoke he took. "Grimmjow, you're bleeding!" He said.

"Ah shit..." He mumbled then snuffed out his cigarette. "I think I'm out of pain meds..." He said then started to cough.

"I got a different kind for you. C'mon let's go upstairs," Ichigo said then helped the man to his feet.

He tried to help him up the stairs, but Grimmjow shrugged him off and insisted that he do it himself. They made it to the bedroom and Grimmjow fell back onto the bed still coughing. Ichigo went to the closet and pulled out the dreaded machine that Grimmjow hated.

"No! Really? That thing again!" The blunette shouted.

"If you would take better care of yourself, then we wouldn't have this problem, Grimmjow," Ichigo sighed then brought the tube over.

Grimmjow reluctantly let him slide the tube down his throat then turn it in. As always, he was jolted by the air being taken away, but he relaxed. When all the blood was gone, Ichigo cleaned the wound on his chest.

"I hate this," Grimmjow mumbled as Ichigo opened the jar of pain medication that his father gave him. He noticed that it had a slight lemon smell to it.

"Hate what?" Ichigo asked out of politeness, though he wasn't really listening as he cleaned the rest of the wounds.

"Everything. That damn machine, these fuckin bandages. The fuckin injuries that keep me from doin what I want. I just...hate being helpless..." He finished. "My fuckin muscles hurt," he complained as Ichigo started to rub in the medicine.

"This is the new pain medication my dad prescribed for you. It should help," Ichigo stated.

"Whatever. Just fix it," the blunette groaned again.

"Where does it hurt the most?" The orange-head asked and started his arms.

"_Everywhere_," Grimmjow replied through clenched teeth.

"I know _that_," Ichigo rolled his eyes. "But where specifically?"

"My arms...and my back...around my chest..." He said in pain.

"Ok, we'll work on your arms first," Ichigo said then continued to rub the ointment into his biceps.

He kneeled over the man's waist and started to knead the lemony substance into his chest. Grimmjow let out a groan and stretched his arms behind his head. Ichigo leaned into it more and was surprised when Grimmjow groaned louder.

"Sorry! Did I hurt you?" He asked apologetically.

"Nah..." He shook his head. "Just...feels good..." He said before groaning again. Ichigo felt embarrassed at the vulgar sound. It reminded him of...other things. "Mmph..." Grimmjow grunted and shifted under Ichigo.

"C-Can you stop making those sounds?" Ichigo asked and tinted lightly.

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"You just keep making these noises...they're a little weird..." The orange-head mumbled. Grimmjow raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything and laid back down and allowed Ichigo to finish in silence.

"Damn, kid...You got magic hands or somethin?" He said and shifted. Ichigo dug his thumbs into the older man's shoulder blades and circled them. "Fuckin shit..." He couldn't help but groan loudly at that.

"Grimmjow!" Ichigo stopped and rolled his eyes.

"Why is it such a big deal!? It feels good, so I'll express it if I wanna!"

"It's just weird!" He shouted as he rewrapped Grimmjow's chest.

"How? Just—nevermind! Damn, for a kid, you sure are frustrating!" The blunette said then pushed himself up causing Ichigo to fall off of him and tumble off the bed.

"I'm not a kid," he mumbled and rubbed his head where he fell on it.

"Whatever. You can go now," Grimmjow said then turned on the TV and laid back into the pillows again. Ichigo stood then rolled his eyes as the man sat up and stretched his back till it cracked. He told Grimmjow that he'd be back the next day and the man seemed to be fine with that, so he went on home.

_I wonder if Shiro's cooked tonight,_ Ichigo thought, smiling at the thought of the albino's cooking.

* * *

**Phew! ~_~ Another long chapter! There wasn't much substance in this chapter except for the slight yaoi moment. xD at that moment I would've been with binoculars like, "And the wild yaoi moments emerge from their long hibernation in the darkness." Lol. No Shiro this chapter! Dx but hey! The next chapter will be more towards Ichi and Shiro, so don't worry! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.**

**R&R, please!**

**~EMAE**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I HATE STATE TESTING LIKE A SICKNESS!**

**Yes, it's that time of year again. Which means this chapter was really hard to write in the ****_two_**** days I had available to write it. But it doesn't matter this week because I am here with a new chapter that I hope you'll love. I listened to Soulmate by Natasha Bedingfield and I feel that it fit this chapter almost perfectly! And I almost cried my eyes out when I worked on it...**

**But on a happier note, this chapter is ****_all_**** about Shiro! YAAAAY!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

When he got home, Ichigo sat quietly on the sofa and did his homework. He didn't smell anything cooking but he knew Shiro would come out and make something eventually. Ichigo almost drooled at the thought of Shiro's stewed pork. Even more so at the thought of when he added shrimp in it just for him. Shaking his head, the orange-head went back to his work. After an hour or so, he thought he heard something whiz past his ear. He looked around and figured that it was nothing so he continued his assignment. Something made a tap on his book so he turned it around. In the spine was a yellow Nerf gun dart. Ichigo sighed then went back to working. More and more flew his way and the teen tried to concentrate on the textbook so he lifted it to his face.

He kept ignoring them, figuring that the shooter would run out, but they just kept coming. Irritated, Ichigo slammed his book down in his lap just in time to be shot in the forehead. He winced and saw that the dart attatched itself. The teen frowned when he heard Shiro's unmistakable cackling coming from behind the couch opposite him.

"Wow, Ichi, I didnt think ya could hold out that long!" The albino emerged then fell backwards on the couch so his legs were draped over the back.

"Shiro...I'm tryin to do my homework," Ichigo pulled the dart off with a _pop_ then crossed his arms at his childish roomate.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I just came ta apologize," the albino said to him.

"For what?" The orange-head inquired.

"For tha way I was actin the past few weeks," Shiro said and turned over so that he was right-side up. "I know I was bein a douche."

"Nah, _really?"_ Ichigo asked sarcastically.

"Well-a hardy-har-har. Shut it." Shiro stood up and sat on the arm of the couch Ichigo was on then fell back so that he was laying in his lap. "Anyway, do ya forgive me?"

"I don't know, Shiro," Ichigo shrugged and looked down at his bestfriend, "you've been a real jerk lately."

"Yeah," Shiro nodded in agreement.

"You were purposely locking the door just so I would knock and you could glare at me."

"Mmhm," he admitted shamelessly.

"And as soon as I gave you the money to fix your car, you weren't mad anymore, so that makes you a shallow asshole and—"

"Alright!" The albino threw his arms up. "I get it! I've been a big bitch lately! Yer point?"

"No, I won't forgive you," Ichigo said with a smirk.

"...Really?" Ichigo's smirk disappeared when one grew on Shirosaki's face.

"Shiro?..." He asked cautiously.

"Oh, I think you'll come around..." Shiro said slyly.

Ichigo shouted when Shiro's fingers shifted up and down his sides, throwing him into a fit of laughter. He pushed the other off of his lap then yelped again when Shiro crawled on the couch and kneeled over him. He pushed on his attackers bare chest, but the tickling just grew more intense. Loud shouts/laughs rang through the apartment as Ichigo pleaded for him to stop. Shirosaki's smile grew wider the harder Ichigo giggled and thrashed about.

"Sh-Shiro! Sto—AHAHA! P-Please! HAHAHAHA!" A burst of laughter erupted from Shiro as Ichigo tried to talk.

"HA! Ichi, ya make this too easy!" He laughed and continued to tickle the younger teen. "OW!" He shouted when Ichigo accidentally kneed him in the stomach. Ichigo was still laughing after Shiro fell to the floor.

"Oh shit," he coughed through a laugh. He got on the ground over him to check on him. "You ok?"

"Well," Shiro wheezed, "this just goes ta show: It's all shits n' giggles until someone gets hurt."

"Baka."

This made them both laugh and their gazes caught when they stopped. Shiro swallowed and looked at him with a bold stare. Ichigo could sense the intensity in Shiro's eyes and almost blushed. It made him feel uncomfortable. The last time Shiro looked at him like that...

"GAY BABY!" Shiro shouted at the top of his lungs.

"W-What?" The teen asked confused with a laugh.

"When there's an awkward moment like that, your supposed ta shout 'gay baby.' It eases some of the tension and makes everything go back ta normal."

"Who the hell made that up?" Ichigo asked and held out his hand then helped Shiro up. The albino shrugged then they both heard Ichigo's stomach growl.

"Aww, ya hungry?" Shiro asked teasingly. Ichigo tinted then nodded. "Well alright, I'll make us somethin."

He walked off to wash up and left Ichigo in the living room. Shiro was glad Ichigo didn't follow him to the bathroom, because he would've seen the albino punch the wall. He was angry at himself.

Why?

_Why_ did he still have feelings for _Ichigo?_

He'd already been rejected by him once, and he knew he couldn't handle it again. So why was he putting himself through this? There was probably a 1% chance—if there was any—that Ichigo would be interested in him. And probably an even smaller chance that Ichigo would even be into _men_. And even if he was, he wouldn't choose _him_. Shiro had never known Ichigo to be interested in girls either, but he certainly wasn't into guys. With that truth in mind, he tried to move on. He'd tried multiple times to fall in love with someone else during the time he was gone, but his quest for love turned him into a man-whore. Eventually, he began sleeping with anyone who gave him a second glance. It was harmless at first, but he stopped caring after a while.

He'd become just like those people who give out their body just because. Just to have someone tell them they're unique or beautiful or just worth their time. And even after all the people he'd bedded, there was still a huge chunk of him that wanted Ichigo. Though, it wasn't _that_ bad. It wasn't hard to find someone who would screw around with a 16-year-old. There are a lot of sick people out there he found out. But Shiro liked sex. Like,_ a lot_. So much so that if he wasn't working, he was fucking, and vice versa. He never said no to _anyone_. He'd fuck someone regardless of whether they were a chick or a guy. And it wasn't exactly like people said no to him, either. According to some of them, he looked like an irresistible Greek god.

His face was perfectly sculpted, his body looked as if it could be used as a washboard, his voice was seductive and sexy. Though, the most people talked about was his eyes. His sultry golden orbs that glowed in the light and darkness alike. One man told him that his eyes seemed to hold so much wonder behind them. When people complimented him like that, it made him angry. He'd storm out and leave in the middle of sex if someone told him that. If he was _so_ gorgeous, if he was _so_ damn irresistible...then why the hell didn't _Ichigo_ want him? The frustration of that thought had brought him to tears once. Ichigo, his first love, didn't want him...Sure, he should've been able to brush it off at this age, but he just couldn't.

A 16-year-old, just a 10th grader, having his heart broken by his bestfriend...having no other friends or even parents to talk to about it with...It tore him apart. Shiro ran until he was alone. Alone and waiting for someone else who he could give all of his feelings to. During the two years he was gone, sometimes he'd just stand on the sidewalk. Waiting for someone..._anyone_ who'd want his pathetic little feelings. He was practically wearing them on his sleeve for someone to take. He'd give them all to anyone if they were remotely interested in him. _He_ just didn't want them anymore. They made his heart hurt too much.

_Please take them_... He'd think whenever someone made eye contact with him.

But they just kept walking.

Shiro concluded that his feelings weren't good enough...That's why no one wanted them. He assumed people wanted all of him, not just his feelings. They wanted _everything_. Then _maybe_ they'd take his feelings. He was willing to give it _all_ away at this point. He gave all he had to a man who changed his mind in the end. Shiro still remembered him after all this time. Gin Ichimaru was his name. That man became everything to Shiro. He approached him one day and scared the ever-living out of the teen. His smile was so chilling, but inviting at the same time. Shiro thought that maybe this was the person he'd been waiting for for so long. If that was true, then this man had just won everything Shiro had to offer. He gave him his sanity, his body, his innocence.

_Everything_...Just to be thrown out like used garbage. And he _still_ had his goddamn feelings.

_"Ya know, ya shouldn't make yourself so vunerable. That's how ya get yer feelings hurt,"_ the man said as Shiro stood on the porch in the rain. _"Make sure a person _loves_ ya before ya give them everything."_

He punched him so many times until the man was unconcious. Then he spit in his face and left. That was it. He was done. Instead of giving them away, he decided to just shove them deep down inside him. Deep into the dark corners of his heart where he would forget about them. But he could never completely forget. It made him upset, but he wouldn't stand for it. He went to a parlor and got tattoo after tattoo, piercing after piercing, marking up his body and pushing his previous pain out with more pain. He requested to get a small strawberry on his bicep, just under it so that no one could see it but him. It was for Ichigo. He may have never seen the orange-head again, but he wanted to remember him.

He was his first love after all.

Shiro became quite the bad person after that, but he didn't care. Isolation does that to a person. He became hard and cruel. At 17, he got involved with the wrong people, people who he is still involved with. He didn't care if what he did was good or bad, just as long as he benefitted from it. After a year of underground crime, things changed one day. Shiro was in the park, making out with some chick he'd just met. That's when he heard it. A familiar voice calling his name. He turned around and Ichigo was running towards him. He was so suprised he thought he might've just been imagining it. When he realized it wasn't, his emotions stirred. He wanted to be angry. He wanted to be _pissed_. He wanted to blame Ichigo.

He wanted to blame him for everything that had happened to him over the past two years. It was his fault. It was Ichigo's fault. But as his friend got closer, he found he couldn't do it. None of it was Ichigo's doing. It was his own. His fault for _everything_. He was the one who held on too long. Ichigo had probably forgot about the entire thing. Maybe he should too. When Ichigo hugged him, he forgot about everything. The past two years meant nothing to him now that he was with Ichigo again. The red-head convinced him to have a whole new outlook on life. Shiro got rid of most of his piercings. They didn't really fit him anyway. He only had a handful of tattoos so they were cool to keep. He never told Ichigo about the time he was gone. The albino didn't want Ichigo to blame himself for all that had happened. It wasn't really his fault anyway.

Shiro snapped himself out of his horribly morbid memories. He realized that he was staring at himself in the mirror and shook his head. Willing himself to move, he washed his hands and then went to go cook.

* * *

Shiro set the table and made a plate for Ichigo. The orange-head ate to his hearts content and the albino just watched. He had lost his appetite. But it brought him inner happiness that he could bring Ichigo such joy just by cooking for him. Secretly, he just wanted the younger teen to be happy. It didn't matter what he needed, Shiro wanted to be the one who gave it to him. And Ichigo seemed so thankful for everything. It made Shiro feel nice inside. That he was the only one who could make Ichigo laugh and embarrass him all in one go. He was glad that someone needed him. Someone wanted him. Ichigo may not have wanted him in the way he would've liked, but at least he wanted him _around_.

* * *

**Tears were shed in the making of this chapter.**

**I don't know about you guys, I feel like my heart was kicked in the ass! It made me so sad! :'(**

**I hope you guys loved this chapter because I worked really hard on it to get it to you in time. Tell me what you think of Shiro's little story! Loved it? Hated it?**

**Review and let me know!**

**~EMAE**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: EARLY CHAPTER!? WHAT!?**

**60 reviews! That last chapter was sooo sad right? But don't worry, Shiro will find his happiness! The mystery is if it'll be Ichigo or someone else to whom he will give his discarded feelings. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!**

**Warning: Intense language, courtesy of Grimmjow. XD**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The next few weeks went by smoothly. Ichigo caught up with his school work, which was just in time because his two week break was just three days away. He and Shirosaki seemed to be ok because he'd been giving Ichigo rides wherever he needed, but only if Ichigo promised to let him meet Grimmjow one day. Grimmjow hadn't been injuring himself so much lately, so he really only needed to be there to clean his healing wounds and occasionally rub in the pain ointment. But still, even _that_ was a task. Grimmjow _never_ stopped moving. If he wasn't in bed he was going about doing anything to strain himself while spewing, _"Pain is just weakness leaving the body!"_ That just made him open one of his wounds or rip a stitch or something.

Then he would just set himself back and have to stay bed-ridden once more. Ichigo didn't understand what made him think that that was going to make him better. Obviously, it wasn't. If anything, it was making his bed schedule longer. Grimmjow could really be a brickhead sometimes. Though, Ichigo thought he was kind of fun to hang out with. He was cool, funny, and loud when he got angry. Working for him wasn't so unpleasant anymore since they were actually...kind of friends now. Ichigo didn't wake up and dread going to his home anymore. When he would go, he would wake Grimmjow up, try to _keep _him awake while he changed his bandages, then let him fall back asleep. It was like taking care of a really big kid.

Sometimes, Grimmjow would just wake up in a terrible mood. He almost socked Ichigo for waking him one morning. Just because he was upset about being in the state he was in. Apparently, he had thought it was all a dream and when he found out it wasn't, that just made him more pissed. On the days he was in the most pain, Grimmjow would emerge, greet everyone somberly, request for something to eat, then return to his bed and wait for Ichigo to come and rub him down with ointment. He didn't try to hide the fact that he was upset about being helpless. He was put on depression pills because he was torn up about losing his voice. But he still didn't let that get him down. Really he just expressed how eager he was to get better. Ichigo admired that about the man so he tried his best to help him get there. He still owed the blunette that at least.

* * *

One morning, Ichigo woke up on the couch surrounded by his homework when his ringtone went off. He picked up his phone then wiped the drool from his mouth on his shirt.

"Mm...'ello?" He said in a groggy voice.

_"Hi, Ichigo?"_ He heard Nelliel's voice. _"Is this a bad time?"_

"Well, it's only _5:30_ in the morning," the sleepy teen chuckled. "But what's up?"

_"Um...could you come over again today?"_

"Why? Did Grimmjow hurt himself?" Ichigo asked expecting that to be the answer.

_"No...but he just might do so...see, today we have a meeting with the record label we're signed with, and Grimm's not gonna like what they told me. Basically, Grimmjow may snap when they tell us what's up. So, could you come with us and be there if that happens? Grimm might actually listen to you," _Nelliel pleaded.

"Sure," Ichigo nodded, "What time should I be over there?"

_"We're leaving at 10, so any time before that."_

"Ok. But I'm gonna sleep a little while longer, if that's cool," the teen said through a yawn.

_"Yeah, yeah! Seeya!"_ The green-haired woman replied cheerily.

"Mm," he closed his phone then layed his head back to sleep.

* * *

Around 7:00, Shiro woke up then made breakfast. He noticed that Ichigo had fallen asleep on his homework. At first he though he should've woken the boy up, but he decided to mess with him for his own amusement.

_"Ichigo~"_ the albino said in a low voice._"Ichigo~"_

Ichigo groaned then turned his head, exposing his neck and ear to his roommate. Shirosaki gently grazed his fingers up the ginger's neck making the sleeping teen whimper then shudder. The sound make Shiro bite his lip and he contemplated on whether or not he should go further. But Ichigo was a heavy sleeper...so why the hell not? He sat next to the sleeping boy and traced his fingers on his neck again.

"Hey...quit...," Ichigo mumbled.

"But I don't wanna~" Shiro pouted.

"Mm..." The albino snickered and moved closer to lightly blow on the exposed skin of Ichigo's neck. "What..."

"Don't worry, Ichi~. I'll make it all better~," he said softly.

"M-Mn..." The sleeping boy whimpered.

God, he _loved_ fucking around with Ichigo. Whether he was asleep or awake, it was just plain fun. Ichigo moaned in his sleep when his roommate's fingers traced light circles on his stomach. Shiro let out a shaky breath at the arousing sound and thanked the gods that he was wearing sweats because his underwear had become uncomfortably tight. Suddenly, an alarm went off and Ichigo's eyes shot open. Shiro's eyes widened but he didn't move.

"Shit..." Ichigo didn't seem to notice his bestfriend sitting at such a close proximity. "Gotta shower..." He said sleepily then immediately jumped up and ran towards his room, but not without tripping on his own feet. Shiro snickered and rested his chin on his hand.

_Ah, Ichi...yer too cute fer yer own good_, he thought to himself.

* * *

After his shower, Ichigo got a ride from Shirosaki to Grimmjow's house.

"Damn. Nice place," the albino observed as he looked out the window. He drove the white Challenger around the crescent driveway and parked in front of the mansion. "Ichi, ya _gotta _let me meet 'im! Please! He's like, my hero!" Shiro pleaded.

"Fine," Ichigo agreed, "just _please_ don't embarrass me..."

"Aw, Ichi! It's _me_ we're talkin 'bout!"

"Exactly," Ichigo said with a smirk then got out of the car.

"...Cold world..." Shiro said and pouted. Ichigo knocked on the big door and the two waited until it was opened. Starrk stood at the door and his eyebrows rose.

"Hey, Ichigo. Who's your friend?" He asked curiously.

"Hi, Starrk. This is my bestfriend, Shirosaki. Shiro, this is—"

"Coyote Starrk...it's a real pleasure to meet ya! I'm like, a huge fan of you guys!" Shiro grinned wildly and shook his hand. A lazy smile crept onto Starrk's face.

"Nice to meet you, too. C'mon in and meet everyone else," he stepped aside so the two teens could get in. Shirosaki grinned at Ichigo and the red-head just rolled his eyes.

"Who tha hell is that?" Nnoitora asked from the couch.

"One of our big fans," Starrk replied as he walked upstairs.

"Oh, sweet. I'm Nnoitora," he said as he stood.

"Shirosaki Ogichi. I _love_ yer work," Shiro said, barely able to contain himself.

"Oh, yeah? What's yer favorite song?" Nnoitora asked.

"What To Do. I _fucking _love that song."

"Cool, I wrote that one!"

"No shit? That's like yer #1 song!"

"Yeah! I wrote it after I met this chick on tha road. She was _amazing_. All she ever wanted ta do was rock out ta some hardcore music an' fuck. So, I wrote a song about 'er," Nnoitora said nostalgically.

"Yer inspiration is amazing," Shiro beamed.

"Hey, Starrk, this kid's pretty cool. I like 'im," Nnoitora said as he walked down the stairs.

"Think so?"

"Yeah. C'mon, kid. I'll show you around."

Shiro almost lost it. The...The freaking _Espadas..._thought _he_ was _cool_. The albino thought he'd died and gone to heaven. Ichigo could tell his roommate was having an inner fangasm, so he didn't bother him when he followed Nnoitora. The teen noticed Nelliel guiding Grimmjow down the stairs, the blue-haired man grunting with each step. He winced everytime his injured leg touched the ground.

"What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing. He's just got a little morning stiffness," Nelliel informed. There was a short eruption of laughter making Grimmjow growl.

"Shut the fuck up, Ggio! Immature bastard..." He said and sighed when they reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Where's Ulquiorra?" The teen wondered.

"He's already up at the label office," Starrk replied.

"Oh. What's wrong?" Ichigo asked when he saw Grimmjow wincing in pain.

"The rod in my leg is cold and it's _fuckin hurting_," Grimmjow grunted.

"Did you put the heating pad under your leg this morning like I told you?" Ichigo raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.

"...No..." He mumbled a reply.

"_Grimmjow_..."

"What? That thing feels fuckin weird and it's uncomfortable!"

"Grimmjow, you know it's cold in the morning. It's the beginning of _winter_ for God sakes," Nelliel rolled her eyes.

"Like _I_ give a fuck about _that_," Grimmjow rolled his eyes too.

"Grimmjow, if you don't keep your leg heated, you could lose it due to frostbite," Ichigo informed.

"Tch..." The bluenette snorted.

_"Holy shit,"_ Shirosaki exclaimed as he walked in and saw Grimmjow.

"Who tha fuck is this?" He mumbled to Starrk.

"Ichigo's best friend," Starrk replied.

"Dude, ya look so _awesome_ fer someone who got hit by a _car!"_ Shiro complimented making Grimmjow chuckle.

"Thanks, man."

"I'm a really big fan of you guys. I've bought every shirt and own every album you guys have put out," Shiro said proudly.

"Wow, never met a die-hard fan before," Grimmjow chuckled.

"Yeah. Sorry 'bout my dunderhead roommate's poor driving skills," Shiro jerked his finger over to Ichigo who flipped him off in return.

"Eh," Grimmjow yawned, "it's fine. Ichigo's doin a pretty good job at takin care of me. So when I do recover, it'll be thanks ta him," Grimmjow said and looked at Ichigo who tinted lightly.

"I-It's no big deal! I'm just doin my job, that's all..." Ichigo tried to get the attention off of him.

"No, really...Thanks, Ichigo," the bluenette said sensually making Ichigo flush even darker.

"Sorry 'bout him," Nelliel said with a sigh. "He had some Tylenol earlier so he's still a little loopy."

"Ichigo...I'm tired..." He yawned again.

"O-Oh...Ok..." Ichigo walked over to Grimmjow and started to help him up the stairs. "Shiro, I guess I'll see you later then."

"Right," Shiro said confused in response. He watched Ichigo help Grimmjow up the stairs, the teen giggling quietly when Grimmjow almost fell over.

It was strange. At first, he was ecstatic to meet _Grimmjow Jaegerjaques_...But when he saw how he looked at Ichigo and how he spoke to him, the excitement died down a bit. He didn't like the way the man was hanging all over Ichigo like he _knew_ him. He knew nothing about Ichigo. Sure, he was piss-drunk off Tylenol, but Shiro still didn't like it. Not one bit. He swore to himself that he'd keep away his feelings for Ichigo, but that didn't mean he couldn't be jealous. Just watching Grimmjow sway and fall all over Ichigo made him want to snap. His idol had turned rancid in his eyes. If he wanted Ichigo, he was nothing to Shiro. Without a word, he left and went to take care of his business, being sure to try and forget about his jealousy.

* * *

When they got to Las Noches Records, Ichigo was surprised. It was a magnificent building. It was all white with sparkling windows. To him, it looked more like a palace than a building. It had taken half an hour to get there since it was way out in Hueco Mundo. They gave Grimmjow his crutches—his leg was still hurting—then headed inside. Ichigo thought the inside was kind of creepy. It had all white walls and chairs.

"He's expecting you right about now," said a pink-haired man with glasses sitting at the front desk.

"Thank you, Szayel," Nelliel replied then led the group to the elevator.

It was a tight fit, but they all managed to squeeze in. Nnoitora's height and Starrk's build made it difficult to stand comfortably. Ichigo was lightly pressed against the wall by Grimmjow, which made him blush lightly. When they reached the top floor, the teen was relieved and took a deep breath. They walked down more white halls until they arrived at the last one. Nelliel knocked once before it was opened and Ulquiorra stepped aside to let them in. They all filed into the conference room and took a seat on one side of the large table. Ichigo was about to ask what this was all about before a man with slicked back brown hair came in and sat across from everyone. He had a calm smile that made Ichigo feel suddenly uncomfortable.

"Who's this?" He asked in an even tone.

"Aizen, this is my caretaker, Ichigo. Ichigo this is Nelliel's boss, Sōsuke Aizen," Grimmjow spoke before anyone else.

"Nice to meet you, _Ichigo_," he said smoothly then reached for Ichigo's hand and shook it. The way he said Ichigo's name made the teen almost cringe, and his hands were too warm.

"Y-You too," he replied, though he felt he didn't mean it.

"Now that we've gotten the pleasantries out of the way, I have some very important news to tell all of you," Aizen informed as he sat back in his chair. "As you know, Grimmjow's injury has been pouring in more revenue than ever," Ichigo felt Grimmjow tense next to him. Apparently that was a mild insult, "but with his current state of his vocal cords being injured, he can't sing until further notice. So, to keep the label alive and running while our little star is in recovery, I am bringing in a familiar face."

As soon as Aizen said those words the conference room doors opened and a girlish-looking boy with lavender eyes walked in. He seemed to catch gazes with Grimmjow and grinned when the blunette frowned deeply. Ichigo saw his displeasure and wondered who the newcomer was.

"Who's that?" He whispered to Nelliel.

"Luppi Antenor. He was the hottest thing out until The Espadas rose above him," she told him.

"Grimmjow doesn't seem to like him very much," he mumbled.

"Just feel lucky that you weren't here the first time they met. Grimmjow almost bashed his face in for saying that the band sucked."

"I'm sure you all remember Luppi Antenor. He will be putting out new material to make sure that the label remains stable while Grimmjow is in recovery," Aizen informed the group.

"Aizen, I'm going to be fine! You don't have to—" Grimmjow started angrily but stopped when Aizen gave him a look. It wasn't anything really, but something about his eyes said that he'd better keep his mouth shut.

"Now, that's all for today," the brunette stood from his chair, "I will see you all at the Platinum Palooza. I expect Grimmjow to have fully recovered by then," Aizen advised but it came off as a warning. He walked and exited the room, leaving them all to themselves.

"Nice seeing you again, Grimmjow," Luppi said wryly, "It's too bad you're in this situation. Seems like The Espadas are about to fall off the charts."

"_Shut up_, ya stupid little _fag_," Nnoitora snapped.

"Yeah. No one likes your _shitty_ music. That's why we're at tha top and yer just a fuckin bottom feeder now," Grimmjow added. That seemed to anger Luppi.

"Well, it looks like the tides are turning. Soon enough, I'll be back at the top again. People will love me, and they'll hate you. Can't you just see it?" The raven swooned.

"I can't see anything since yer ugly ass walked in here. I think I might go blind."

"At least _I_ won't go _mute_," Antenor sneered.

"I won't go _mute_," the blunette snarled. The girlish boy laughed.

"Open your eyes, Grimmjow! Your shitty little voice is fading! I can barely hear it now!"

"Oh yeah? Ya must've deafened yerself with yer screams from when ya let Aizen fuck you up tha ass, fuckin whore."

"What? I can't hear you! All I hear is your voice breaking the fuck up!" Luppi continued to taunt him.

"Ya hear it breaking, huh? Let's see how well ya hear it when I tear yer fuckin ears off, ya tone-deaf little cunt!"

"Hey! That's enough. Both of you sit down," Starrk commanded the two. The room went silent and Grimmjow sat back down.

"Heh. That's right Grimmjow, sit down like the dog you are," Luppi said and remained standing.

"I don't understand why you're attacking him...Just shut up..." Everyone was surprised when Ichigo mumbled rather loudly.

"Excuse me?" Luppi turned to him.

"What? N-Nothing... I didn't say anything," The red-head realized how loud he'd said that and sunk back into his chair.

"No, I think you _did_ say something. You're what, 13? Why don't you leave this to the grown-ups, ok?"

"I'm 17. And I said shut up," Ichigo snapped.

"Ooh, tough guy. Why're you defending him? What is he? Your boyfriend or something?" Luppi taunted. Ichigo just shut his mouth and blushed. The raven smirked. "He _is_, isn't he? That's cute."

"S-Shut up!"

"That's enough!" Nelliel shouted.

"C'mon, we're leaving," Starrk added.

"Aww. Bye, Grimmy!" Luppi waved.

"Call me that again. I guarantee I'll shove my foot so far up your ass, you'll have my toes for teeth," the blunette snarled before limping out of the room. Luppi just smirked and watched the group leave.

* * *

When they got back to Starrk and Grimmjow's house, Grimmjow didn't waste time in stomping up to his room. Ichigo followed him and knocked on the door.

"Grimmjow? I know your mad, but can I come in?" A grunt was his reply and he walked in. Grimmjow was buried deep in his pillows and watching television. "You alright?" The teen asked.

"What was that about today? Why'd ya defend me?" He inquired.

"Oh! I...I-I..."

Ichigo started to shift from foot to foot in nervousness. He hadn't noticed it before now, but he actually started to...have feelings for Grimmjow. They were very small feelings, and it was more of a crush. The teen practically spent all of his time with the man. And they weren't so hostile towards each other anymore. Grimmjow would sometimes invite Ichigo to watch TV on his bed with him, or he would sit next to him on the couch. They were just small things, but to Ichigo, they were just enough to create some type of attraction to Grimmjow.

"Well? What is it?" The blunette grunted.

"I-I...I just thought Luppi was kind of an asshole. His voice was annoying," Ichigo half lied. Grimmjow grinned.

"Glad I'm not tha only one who thinks so. If I had tha chance, I'd make 'im eat his own shit," he said and made Ichigo laugh a bit. "I remember tha first time I met 'im..."

Grimmjow went into his story and Ichigo sat on the edge of the bed. Part of recovery is venting. So if Grimmjow needed to vent, Ichigo would be there to listen. Grimmjow's voice was so appealing for some reason. Ichigo didn't question why and just decided to listen to the man tell his story.

* * *

**Yeah, Ichigo! You defend your man! I kind of feel like I got Shiro and Luppi OOC but eh...Shiro's supposed to fangasm over The Espadas and Luppi is supposed to be an asshat anyway. So? What did you think? Tell me in a review!**

**R&R, please!**

_**~EMAE**_


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: And here we are with chapter 10 at 70 reviews! Yay! This story has grown so much! And I know some of you have been wondering where I'm hiding the smut...Don't worry, the smut is on it's way. Soon... :3 Anyway, I just want to thank everyone that has stuck with this story. I really am trying and I hope that I satisfy.**

**Oh, and to those wondering about the PMs, I send one everytime I get a review. I just feel that if you took the time out to send a nice little review, I should send a nice little thank you. :3**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Ichigo was _finally_ off for his Winter Break and he was exhausted. School had took a toll on him since he was doing extra work to catch up. But he had finished and was finally able to relax. That is...until Nelliel called and asked him to go over and hangout with Grimmjow. Everyone else had gone out but he couldn't because it was too cold. He was bored and lonely so Ichigo would sometimes go over there. He knew Shiro didn't really like it since they were supposed to hang out, but he himself had no problem with it. Since he had small feelings for Grimmjow, it was getting more difficult to do the things he regularly did. He always noticed how Grimmjow's muscles flexed when he stretched in the morning, or how he yawn, or how he laughed.

_God, I am so pathetic_, he thought as he layed down on his bed.

Ichigo didn't have the courage to tell Grimmjow how he felt about him, so he settled for hopelessness.

_Maybe I just have Florence Nightingale syndrome_, he told himself and nodded, _Yeah, that's it. I only like him cause I'm taking care of him. It'll wear off once he's better._

Ichigo sighed and drifted off into one of his frequent naps.

* * *

He was asleep only for a few minutes before a heavy object landed on his stomach.

"Shiro..." He groaned then opened his eyes to be met with sparkling gold ones.

"Ya got nothin ta do, right?" He asked excitedly. He sat back on Ichigo's stomach so he could respond.

"Yeah, why? You got something in mind?" The albino smiled and nodded.

"Me and a couple of my friends are going up north ta go snowboardin. Wanna go?" Ichigo looked up in thought. "C'mon, Ichi! You never get ta hang out with me anymore! For a long time, it's either been school or yer friends! I'm yer _best_ friend, Ichi. _Best," _he whined.

"I know, Shiro," the orange-head replied. "I was just thinking if I had to check on Grimmjow at all." The pale teen scoffed.

"He doesn't need ya. I think he can manage himself for a week," Shiro said contemptuously.

"Shiro, what do you have against Grimmjow? Isn't he like, your biggest idol?"

"Not recently." Shiro frowned. Ichigo didn't know what was up with Shiro but he wanted them to get along.

"Oh...Well, you should give him a chance. He's a really cool guy," he said with a smile.

That made Shiro frown. He knew something was up. The signs were barely there, but he knew. Ichigo was really happy lately. Whevevr that green-haired chick called him to go over there, Ichigo would hop up and shower, and spend time looking his very best. Even if he didn't know what Ichigo liked, it was pretty obvious how he felt about the blunette. Shiro thought _he_ would at least be the first _guy_ Ichigo liked. But that spot was taken from him. The truth made him want to fall to pieces.

"Ya like 'im...don't ya?" He asked with a hard look in his eyes. Ichigo's eyes widened.

"Uh..."

It was hard for the albino not to shout it. Ichigo blushed and remained sprawled underneath him. He knew he couldn't hide anything from Shiro, he _was_ his best friend after all. Something about the look in the others eyes made him feel guilty about liking Grimmjow. He shouldn't feel guilty, right? So why...

"It's fine," Shiro put on a fake smile. "If yer happy, then everything's fine. In fact, I'm happy for ya," he said then bent down and wrapped his arms around Ichigo's neck. It was the only thing he could do to keep himself from breaking.

"Sh-Shiro..." Ichigo tried to explain himself.

"So, can ya go or not?

"Y-Yeah, probably. It'd be fun, huh?" He asked and smiled slightly.

"Hella fun," Shiro grinned.

He jumped off of the smaller teen and ran out of the room. He'd finally lost Ichigo...once and for all. No one could ever say no to Ichigo, he'd always been irresistible. So, if Ichigo liked someone, he got them. Surprisingly, it felt like a weight was lifted off of Shiro's shoulders

At least he wouldn't have to like Ichigo anymore.

Now he could try a little harder to move on.

* * *

"Do you have ta go, Ichi?" Shirosaki whined and hung over the back of the couch.

"Yes, Shiro. It's my job," Ichigo replied while slipping on his jacket.

"But it's snowin out and ya could just stay warm in here with me!" Shiro whined.

"Nah, I can't. I have to go."

"That's not fair. He calls ya out there at like 8 at night when it's already dark. And it's snowin out there, Ichi! A'least lemme drive ya there," the albino suggested. "Can't be takin ya to tha ER cause ya got frostbite or mugged or somethin."

"Fine! Hurry up," Ichigo agreed and caught the keys that were tossed at him. He went outside and got in the car and started it up before Shiro came outside. They both put their seatbelts on and drove off.

"Well," Shiro said as he made a swift right, "since yer not gonna hang out with me on this cold, snowy night, I'll just have ta call up somebody else." He dialed in someone's number in his cars built in phone and waited.

_"This is Kensei,"_ a deep, gruff voice spoke through the speaker.

"Hi, Ken-chan," Shirosaki replied with a large grin.

_"Shiro, how many fuckin times do I have to tell you not to call me that?"_ Kensei growled.

"Aw, why not? Is it cause only yer fuck-toy gets ta call ya that?" The driving teen snickered.

_"Hey!"_ A younger male on the phone shouted defensively.

_"He didn't mean it, Shuu,"_ Kensei calmed him. The man sighed into the phone. _"What do you want, Shiro?"_

"I wanted ta see if yer free tonight. _Ichi_," he looked to the passenger, "is leavin me and I don't wanna hang out alone."

_"Nah. We're havin dinner with Shuu's family tonight."_ The albino groaned.

"Kensei why?" He whined "Let's go drinkin or throw a party or somethin!"

_"No can do, Shiro. Not tonight."_

"Man...that fuck-toy has got ya whipped."

_"Don't call me that!"_ Shuuhei shouted again.

_"Shiro. You'd do the same thing if it was me callin and you were with Ichi—"_

"ALRIGHT!" Shirosaki shouted over his friends. Ichigo looked at him weirdly, but he didn't seem to notice. "Alright. Hehe. Sorry, Shuu-chan," he grinned wider.

_"D-Don't call me that either!"_

"Aw, you guy's little pet names are _so_ cute."

_"I gotta go, man. But we'll catch up later, yeah?"_ Kensei asked.

"Ok, whatever," Shiro sighed and waved his hand. "Fuck Shuu-chan _extra_ hard tonight, alright?"

_"Shiro!"_ The two on the phone shouted at the same time before Shiro hung up and bursted into laughter.

"Ah...I love messing with them," he sighed.

"I can see that," Ichigo replied. Shiro chuckled and pulled up into the driveway. Ichigo got out of the car and closed the door.

"See ya later, Ichi," Shiro said and started the engine.

"You're not comin in?" Ichigo asked.

"Hell no. It's fuckin cold. And why would I?" The albino didnt really want to go inside. Even though he was swearing off Ichigo, he knew he'd still be jealous of Grimmjow once he saw them together.

"Everyone asks about you from time to time, so you should show your face and tell them how you're doing."

"I guess," he mumbled a reply, only getting out of the car because Ichigo wished it. "Geez, it's fuckin freezin out here." They rang the doorbell and Nnoitora answered it.

"Grimm! Ichigo's here! Good ta see ya, Shiro. It's been a while," the tall man smirked then stepped aside to let them in.

"Yeah, cool, whatever, I'm not stayin. I got a marathon to watch. Ichi, call me when yer ready ta come home. I'll pick ya up," Shiro said hastily. He really didnt want to go inside.

"Ok," Ichigo said then waved and walked inside. Shiro turned to leave but was stopped when Nnoitora grabbed his bicep.

"Ya can stay ya know," he said lowly and grinned. Shiro saw a weird gleam in his eye and he didn't like it. "I don't think Starrk would mind..."

"Aheh...Nah, it's too cold. I'm goin home." Shiro pulled his arm away and backed up.

"Suit yerself," Nnoitora smirked and looked over Shiro's body quickly. Shiro frowned in horror then started down the steps. His eyes widened and he stopped in his tracks when he felt a hand grab his ass. He turned around and stepped back up to the lanky man.

"Touch me again, and I'll snap yer fuckin fingernails off and feed 'em to ya," he warned.

"Well, I like tha sound of ya feedin me," Nnoitora snickered.

"...Fuckin freak..." The albino mumbled then walked back to his car.

"What can I say? When I see somethin I like, I tend ta get a little freaky about it."

"Whatever! And stop lookin at my ass!" He shouted before hopping in and driving home.

"Heh..." The man chuckled before walking inside. "Hey, Ichi! I wanna get ta know yer little friend! Can ya bring 'im by more often?" He shouted to wherever the orange-head was.

"Nnoitora, yer bein a weirdo," Grimmjow replied.

"Meh," the man hopped over the back of the couch and turned on the TV.

"So Grimmjow," Ichigo said coming from the bathroom, "how is your leg? You said it was still hurting, but you've been using the heating gel instead, right?"

"No. That shit is weird too."

"The heating bandage?"

"Nah."

"Grimmjow," the teen sighed, "you're never gonna get better if you don't take care of yourself."

"I'll be fine. I've been havin Pantera sit on it all tha time ta keep it warm," he shrugged.

"Grimmjow, having your cat sit on your leg is not going to work the same." When he said that, Grimmjow put a hand in Ichigo's hair and gently ran his fingers through it. The teen blushed and just stood still as a statue. "W-Why..."

"Ya had a little snow in yer hair. It was buggin me. You were sayin?"

"Huh?...Oh, right. I...The cat—"

"Yeah, I know, but I'd rather do that then have my leg feelin funny all tha time," the blunette shrugged. "'Sides, I didn't call ya over here about my leg. I called ta see if I can have my bandages off yet. I think tha scars are alright now."

"O-Ok. Let's go check," Ichigo replied, a little flustered, and watched Grimmjow climb the stairs with less difficultly than usual.

The older man sat down on the bed then lifted his arms so that Ichigo could unwrap his chest. Ichigo tried to hide his blush as he saw more and more of Grimmjow's chest. He was muscular. _Really_ muscular. Ichigo wondered why he hadn't noticed it before, but it was probably because he didn't have feelings for him until now. Grimmjow let out a weird sound and his stomach clenched. Ichigo looked up at him with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm alright."

"Does it still hurt?" The teen asked worriedly.

"No, ya just tickled me a little, that's all."

The blunette just shrugged it off like it was nothing. Heat rushed into Ichigo's face and he looked down. Grimmjow was..._ticklish_. If that didn't make him any cuter than he already was, Ichigo didn't know what did. But what he didn't know was that Grimmjow had seen his face flush. It made the man smirk because he thought it was kind of cute. Grimmjow shook his head. Cute? No. Ichigo wasn't cute. Guys aren't cute. Grimmjow convinced himself that he liked girls. He never has and never will like guys. Plain and simple. When the wrap was finally off, Ichigo could see the long gash that ran diagonally down Grimmjow's chest. It was light pink in contrast with the man's tanned skin. It seemed fully healed, but Ichigo poked at it with a cotton swap to see if the skin would tear.

It didn't, but Grimmjow let out a laugh from being tickled again. Ichigo couldn't hold back the small chuckle that forced itself out of his mouth. He left his chest unwrapped and moved to check his shoulder. All of the muscles seemed to be fully healed. Grimmjow's wrist bones had all been realigned, but it still hurt him from time to time. The man hadn't opened his lung wound recently so it was healing up really fast.

"Grimmjow you seem to be doing pretty good. But to test you, how about you do your workout on the Wii?" Ichigo suggested. The blunette grumbled.

"I do that thing _everyday_, Ichigo," he complained.

"But you haven't done it without your bandages, so c'mon, let's go." Ichigo waited for Grimmjow then the two made their way downstairs.

"Ulquiorra, move. I gotta do my workout," he told the pale man playing video games on the couch.

"You did that this morning," Ulquiorra replied, Nnoitora and Ggio groaning from losing to the stoic man again.

"Well, I have ta do it again. So could ya move?"

"I could, but that would result in me losing this game. And I never lose," he turned his controller sideways and Nnoitora threw his down once he died. "Ggio, you can still give up now. If you keep playing, you'll only be throwing away your title of being the top gamer in this house."

"No way, Ulqui. I'm gonna win." As soon as those words left his mouth, Ulquiorra took his last life. Ggio sat there gaping and his controller fell out of his hands. The victor tossed the controller to Grimmjow without looking at him and walked towards the stairs.

"I'm going to go see if Starrk would like to play," he said then disappeared. Grimmjow started laughing at his little brother's astonished expression and fell down onto the couch.

"He whipped yer ass, Ggio!" The man laughed harder.

"Shut up, Grimmjow!" The younger teen shouted and stomped up to his room.

"Oh damn...that was funny..."

He wiped a tear from his eyes and picked up the controller he dropped in his fit of laughter. Ichigo rolled his eyes playfully before taking a seat next to the larger man. Grimmjow put in his workout game then clicked on his Mii. As soon as he did, all the lights in the house went out.

* * *

**Oh no! What happened!? Grimm! Don't deny your feelings! Nnoi you dirty dog! X3 Writing this story is so much fun.**

**I've been wondering what band I should base The Espada's off of. I'm not really good coming up with original songs and stuff so I was just going to make them one of my favorite ****_bands_****. I don't know what do you guys think?**

**My favorite ****_bands_**** (not in any order):**

**-OK Go**

**-The Strokes**

**-Muse**

**-The Hush Sound(I hear they're coming back this year!)**

**-The Kooks**

**-The Killers**

**-Weezer**

**-The Fratellis**

**-The Black Keys**

**-Sublime**

**-Taking Back Sunday**

**-Panic! At The Disco**

**-Two Door Cinema Club**

**-The Neighborhood**

**-Franz Ferdinand**

**-Fall Out Boy**

**-Vampire Weekend**

**-Graffiti6**

**-Incubus**

**GOD, LOOK AT WHAT I LISTEN TO I AM SUCH A GIRL**

**OK! But those are the options and I need a band to base The Espadas on. So help me out, please?**

**What did you think of this chapter? Tell me!**

**R&R, please!**

**_~EMAE_**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: EARLY CHAPTER BITCHES!**

**I hope you guys enjoyed that little cliffhanger I left for you in the last chapter! :3 I'm a troll, I know. But, now we'll pick up where we left off and find out what happened to everyone!**

**And also, I love the idea suggested that I have The Espadas sing different songs! I don't know why I didn't think if that...**

**And I'm still not sure if Shiro should end up with Nnoitora or not...it's really hard to decide. If not him, then there's two other people that show up later. Or you guys could decide. But I don't know...we'll cross that road when we get to it.**

**Warning: Use of illegal drugs.**

**This chapter is a bit more about Shiro again.**

**Now on with the story!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Shiro pulled up into the driveway and hastily got out of the car. He was almost blown away by the wind and pieces of snow hit his face. The albino ran to his door then practically fell into the apartment and shut the door.

"Goddamn weather..." He mumbled and took off his jacket and scarf. His phone started ringing so he hurried taking off his jacket. "Hello?" He said when his picked up.

_"Shiro—storm! Tell m—Ok!"_ He could recognize Ichigo's voice, but the phone signal was breaking up.

"Ichi, ya can probably hear me, but I don't know what yer sayin! If yer talkin bout tha storm, I already know. There was a notice on tha radio and I barely missed it. I'm at home now," Shiro explained as he turned the heater on full blast.

_"That's—We're snowed in—power went—stay—Grimmj—house—text you."_

"The power's out and yer gonna stay there? Ok. I'll pick ya up tomorrow when tha storm dies down," Shiro was trying to interpret what Ichigo was trying to tell him.

_"Alright. Shiro be—please. Don't—outside for—"_ The albino chuckled.

"Ichi, I'll be fine. I'm not leavin anytime soon. If ya wanna talk just text me. This tryin ta understand ya shit is annoyin as fuck."

_"Ok, bye,"_ Ichigo replied before they both hung up.

Shiro turned on the TV then got up to cook himself something to eat. It made him sigh at how concerned Ichigo was for him. It just made the flame for the red-head that he thought he snuffed out bigger. While he was up, he typed a text to Kensei:

_Crazy ass storm! Just makin sure u and ur fuck-toy r ok. X3 b careful._

_~Shiro_

He sent it and continued to look for a pot. He decided to make some for Ichigo too since he adored Shiro's cooking and would probably want some when he got back. His phone buzzed and he unlocked it.

_We're already inside. Shuu said fuck u. And thx._

_~Kensei_

Shiro chuckled and continued looking for the ingredients he needed.

* * *

"Well," Grimmjow sighed, "the electric heater is fucked." Nel sighed after him.

"But we can still use tha gas one, right?" Nnoitora asked.

"I'll go turn it on," the newly awakened Starrk said and walked off. There was a loud yowl and he cursed. "Well get out of the way then!" He shouted and a meow followed.

"C'mere, Pantera," Grimmjow said and clicked his tongue. Ichigo watched in the dark as the black cat ran over and curled up to the blunette. He meowed loudly then purred. "Good cat." He practically purred back. Ichigo smile slightly at seeing the man so affectionate. Only when he was with this cat was he ever so gentle and caring. It made the teens face crack into a smile. "The hell ya smilin at, Berry?" Grimmjow brought him out of his daydreams.

"The...the cat is cute," he covered.

"Yeah. I forgot how long we've had him."

"I think it's been like five years," Ggio stated.

"Somethin like that," Grimmjow agreed then nodded. His stomach growled and he held it. "Man, I'm starvin. Why'd the power have ta go out when I'm hungry?"

"Is your stove gas or electric powered?" Ichigo asked.

"I don't know, why?"

"Well, I could cook us something if it works. Shiro taught me some easy recipes in case I was ever hungry."

"Ok, let's do that, _please_," Grimmjow said hastily.

"I just called the power company. They said that they would have our power back on in fifteen," Starrk informed.

"Great. So we can just wait and then Ichigo can make us something," Nel clapped.

"Good, I'm survivin on fat over here," Nnoitora grumbled.

A few minutes before the power came back on, Ichigo decided to get out all the things he would need to cook. He actually had no idea what he was going to make. He wanted to do something easy since he wasn't that great of a cook, but he wanted to make something delicious. If only Shiro were here. He was an expert at this kind of stuff and would know how to make something simple and tasty. Maybe he could call him and ask.

* * *

Shiro sat in the front room on the couch wearing only a white hoodie and black sweatpants with white stripes over his boxers. This was his get up for what he called a "fat day." He was watching the Pirates of the Carribean marathon. It was his favorite so he didn't mind being alone. He chuckled lightly as he watched Jack Sparrow shake a jar of dirt in the air and sing. Shiro could still slightly hear the wind howling and rattling the windows, but it didn't affect him. His silently counted down the minutes until he'd pick up Ichigo. The albino knew he didn't completely give up on the other teen, and it pissed him off to no end. He hated that he'd always been so indecisive and fickle. If he didn't like the way something was going, he'd switch to something else.

And if that didnt work out, he'd go right back to the first problem. It was a bad habit he knew he had. He didn't care enough to do anything about it, but he still hated it. He always chose the bad options. It's part of what kept him wary all the time. He'd made some _very_ bad choices, and it was just a matter of time before they caught up with him. Shirosaki jumped when his phone rang and a cute picture of Ichigo popped up. He paused the TV and picked it up.

_"Shiro? Shiro, can you hear me?"_ He smiled when he heard his friends voice.

"Yes, Ichi, I can hear ya. What's up? Ya ready ta come back?"

_"No, not yet. The power came back on, but we're still snowed in. I'm pretty sure I'll be spending the night over here."_ Shiro rolled his eyes.

"Ok. So, what do ya need?" The albino asked. "I got a marathon ta finish."

_"Well, everyone is hungry so I thought I'd cook something."_ Shiro went silent.

"...Yer gonna burn that house ta tha ground."

_"That's why I called you, baka. Just please tell me something that I can make easily,"_Ichigo pleaded. Shiro sighed.

"Ok, lemme think...Oh! You remember how ta make pan-fried pasta right?"

_"I think so..."_

"Great! Call ya later!" Shiro said then hung up. Ichigo would be fine if he remembered how to make that.

_Now, back ta watchin Keira Knightley be a bad ass pirate_, Shiro thought before his phone rang again. He picked it up and sighed.

"Yeah, Ichi?"

_"I actually don't remember how to make that,"_Ichigo said and Shiro could hear the embarrassment in his voice.

"Ok," the albino sighed, "I'm gonna have ta get up and look through our ingredients ta tell ya what ta do," he informed the red-head and walked into the kitchen.

_"Ok, I'll just write it down,"_ Ichigo said then went to go get paper.

"First, boil yer pasta. Whatever kind is fine. Then heat a skillet and add olive oil or butter," Shirosaki said and kept looking through the cabinets, "fry the pasta fer about two ta three minutes. Then add—" he stopped when he heard banging at the door. "Hang on, Ichi, someone's at the door," He said then started walking.

He unlocked and opened it, surprised when he was suddenly punched in the stomach. Shiro dropped his phone and cried out before another fist made contact with his left eye then nose. He stumbled to the ground then held his face and groaned. He heard footsteps enter the door then the wind from outside stopped when they closed and locked it. Someone grabbed his hood and dragged him across the floor towards the living room. The albino coughed and choked for air before he was lifted and tossed back in his spot on the couch. Hot tears ran out of his left eye in order to heal it, and he could feel the warm blood running over his hands from his nose. He managed to calm down and open his eyes. When he saw who it was who had entered his home, he almost screamed. But he had more dignity than that.

_"Shiro? Shiro?"_ Ichigo's voice still sounded on the other line of his phone before it was cut off.

"Hello, _Shiro_..." Shiro closed his eyes and sighed at the familiar voice as memories came flooding back to his shaken mind. He opened them again and brown eyes met his gold ones.

_"Ginjou,"_ Shiro replied and held his nose to stop the blood flow. _"Tsukishima."_ He opened his eyes and glanced at the tall younger man who was reading. "What do ya want?"

"You know exactly what I want," Ginjou said and yanked back the albino's hair. Shiro hissed and tried to look away from him but the larger man just moved his head so they had eye contact. "Don't play fucking coy."

"Tsukishima, is that a new book yer readin?" Shirosaki ignored Ginjou playfully then hissed when the man gripped his chin tight.

"We've been after you for a _whole fucking year_, Shiro," he growled, "You're what, 18 now? So yeah, a year sounds about right. You can tell I have little patience for your goddamn games right now."

"I'm not playin any games." Shiro tried to shake his face out of Ginjou's hand, but the grip only tightened. He gathered some of the blood in his mouth and spit on the man's white fur collar. Ginjou seemed to turn red with anger but he breathed and gripped the front of Shiro's hoodie.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way. You can give me the fucking money and drugs you stole, or I can have Tsukishima beat the living shit out of you, then take it anyway. Your choice," Ginjou offered. Shiro looked over and saw Tsukishima put his book down. That was never a good sign.

"Why're ya givin me options? Why not just kill me then take tha shit?"

"'Cause believe it or not, I still care about you, kid. I'd rather not see your blood spilled over some stupid drugs," Ginjou's face seemed to soften, but immediately go back to intimidating. "Plus, I don't need the cops chasin after me if I _do_ kill you. So, what's it gonna be?"

"...Bite me. That's what it's—" Shiro was cut off when Ginjou slapped him hard. Shiro held his cheek and his eyes widened in shock.

"Fuckin brat...Tsukishima, search the house," Ginjou commanded. Once the tall man ran off, he turned his attention back to the teen and raised an eyebrow.

"Ya won't find tha money. I already spent it all on this place," Shirosaki bluffed and gestured to the apartment.

"We're not looking for the _money_," Ginjou said with a grin making Shiro's eyes widen. "I still don't get it. The money I understand, you were just a stupid kid. But why did you steal the drugs?"

"It's wrong ta give that shit ta people. It fucks up their lives and destroys them!" Shiro shouted. "No amount of _money_ is worth that!"

"How do you know _that?_ You're just a kid," Ginjou asked skeptically and looked down at him.

"I've seen it," the teen said lowly then lowered his head.

"_Oh yeah_, you told me about your _mommy._She was just a stupid bitch who didn't know how to use it properly and got herself a reserved spot six feet under," Ginjou almost laughed. Shiro snarled and lunged at him. He stopped when the cold barrel of a gun touched his forehead. "Don't." The albino sat back down and crossed his arms. Tsukishima came back in and tossed something to Ginjou. The man held up a large bag filled with syringes and smaller bags and shook it at Shiro to taunt him.

"He hid it in the bathroom. It looks like someone else is living here with him," Tsukishima informed.

Ginjou reached into the bag and pulled a smaller one out. Shiro watched the man untie the bag and a small cloud of white puffed out because of the force. Ginjou held it in his hand then looked to Shiro. A psychotic grin grew on his face and the albino swore he started to shake. Deep down, he was genuinely terrified of these two men. He'd seen the things they've done and regretted ever getting himself tied up with them.

"I'll be right back," he said then walked towards the kitchen. Shiro looked worriedly and Tsukishima.

"What's he doin?" He asked scared. The man just shrugged and continued to read.

"I don't know."

"Well can ya go stop him? Whatever it is, you and I both know that it's not gonna be good fer me," Shiro practically pleaded.

"Whatever it is, it's not going to _kill_ you," the calm man said and turned another page.

"How do ya _know_ it ain't gonna kill me?"

"He told you already. He still cares about you," Tsukishima looked up from his book again. Shiro's eyes widened when he said that.

"And do you, Tsuki?" The teen asked. Tsukishima looked at him for a minute before he opened his mouth.

"I—"

"Ok, Shiro," Ginjou interrupted their conversation. In his hand was one of the syringes and a spoon with something in it. "Here's how this is gonna work. You're gonna work for me and get back all of that money you stole."

"Like hell. And if I refuse?"

"Oh, I think we'll come to an agreement," he said and dipped the needle into the spoon. He sucked the substance into the barrel and tossed the spoon to the floor. "I'm going to give you a little..._booster_...to help motivate you. Help you see why we do what we do."

"Wait, Ginjou, he's still just a kid," Tsukishima stated.

"Yes. A kid who needs to be disciplined. Hold him down."

Shiro's eyes widened and he tried to make a run for it. Tsukishima grabbed him and shoved him on his back then put his weight on the teen's hips. Shiro had forgotten that the thin man was stronger than he looked. He struggled but his arms were held to the ground by his wrists. Tsukishima continued to keep him from moving as Ginjou slowly approached him with the syringe.

"Let me go!" The albino begged.

"Can't do that, Shiro. You see what happened last time," the brown-eyed man said and gestured over to the stolen drugs.

"I'll sell 'em, I will! Just...please!"

"I don't really believe you, Shiro." He kept writhing and trying to pull away from Tsukishima but it was no use. This was it. Ginjou wrapped something tight around the teens arm and waited for the vein to appear.

"Stop..." Shiro's voice cracked as if he was about to cry.

"Trust me when I say this: You should of stayed in school, kid." Ginjou grinned as he pushed the needle deep into his arm then pushed the plunger down. Shirosaki screamed loudly when the searing liquid burned its way through his bloodstream. Tsukishima covered his mouth and the teen continued to shout into his hand.

"Hold still," the tall man grunted and struggled to keep the shaking albino from moving.

"Ah, let him go. He can't do anything now," Ginjou said then stood. Tsukishima got off of him and sat back. He was right. Shiro couldn't feel _anything_. But feeling nothing felt really good. He felt like his entire body was filled with warm, heavy cotton. It felt nice. "Put him on the couch until he wakes up," Ginjou said.

Shirosaki could slightly feel Tsukishima's soft hands lifting him and gently placing him on the couch. The tired teen wrapped his arms around a pillow and cuddled up to it. He quickly fell unconcious, barely remembering what had just happened to him.

"Ginjou, you don't think that was _too_ much?" Tsukishima asked.

"No. Shiro has fucked around with me too many times. He needs to know that I could've killed him, but I chose to do this instead," Ginjou replied. "Besides, it'll be good to have him back." The brown-eyed man's body shuddered at the thought and memories of having Shirosaki again.

"I don't think he'll come quietly. Maybe we should just leave him alone. He made his choice, he wants nothing to do with us."

"It's a little too late for that, Tsuki. And we're not taking him with us," Ginjou glanced at the reading man. "I already gave it to him. And it doesn't really matter if he doesn't want to, he'll be addicted by the time he wakes up...Stupid kid," he said then shook his head as the sleeping Shirosaki.

* * *

**Oh no! What's gonna happen to Shiro!?**

**I FEEL LIKE SUCH A BAD PERSON FOR THAT**

**Anyways, the plot thickens, and we'll find out more about Shiro and his past in the next chapter. Also, more than enough GrimmIchi next chapter, too!**

**Someone requested more Kensei and Shuuhei, but what was unknown was that I was actually going to do a spin-off of the two of them! How they met, how they fell, yadda yadda...Shiro is in it, since he's close friends with Kensei. And it's not such a sad story, but it's near there. I'll probably start that when I get a little further with this story. So all you KenShuu fans out there, hooray for you!**

**I see smut in the near future...**

**R&R, please!**

**_~EMAE_**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Well, that last chapter was probably not what you guys expected...Some of you even said that you won't read the story anymore...**

**BUT I DON'T. REALLY. CARE.**

**This is how the story is. I'm not trying to '_torture_****' Shiro, as some of you put it. I'm simply setting up a plot. This is also how Shiro meets who he is going to be with, whomever that may be. I'm only ****_half_**** sorry that some of you guys didn't like it because I wanted everyone to enjoy this story. However, the other part of me isn't sorry because everyone is entitled to their own opinion. And I'm not sorry for that.**

**Those of you who are willing to stick with me, I will now try even harder to make this story enjoyable, just for you. I love and thank you.**

**This chapter was inspired by IILesGeMeAuxII! This is for you, dude!**

**So without any further info...**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Shiro? Shiro?" Ichigo wondered why he couldn't hear Shirosaki's voice on the other line. He called out to his friend a few more times before huffing and furrowing his brow.

"Maybe the line got cut off. The storm seems to be kicking back up," Starrk told the teen. "He'll call back."

"Yeah," Ichigo said hesitantly.

"Did he give ya tha recipe at least?" Grimmjow asked. "My stomach is tryin ta demonstrate a whale's mating call."

"I got most of it. But not the last part. I can probably mix it up a little," Ichigo thought out loud. "It won't be the same, but I'll still try." The teen scratched the back of his head.

"Do you need any help, Ichigo?" Nelliel asked.

"Only if you want to."

Nelliel smiled and the two got up and headed to the kitchen. Ichigo boiled the pasta while Nelliel prepared the pan with oil. They talked quite a bit while they cooked. Nelliel asked Ichigo about his school work, and he told her that things were fine. Ichigo found it very easy to talk to Nelliel. Easier than normal, considering how little he actually knew about the woman. She seemed like an older sister to him. When the food was done, Ichigo brought the steaming pile over to the island in the kitchen. He went to the living room to tell everyone that it was ready. The others were once again playing video games while they waited. It seemed no one wanted to play any competitive games with _Ulquiorra_ so they played a collaborative one.

This one required four players to play instruments. When Ichigo walked in, they seemed to be doing fairly well. Nnoitora yelled as he strummed his guitar on the last few notes. All of them seemed to be having a great time except for Grimmjow, who sat off to the side, watching everyone else. It seemed that he was staring at the lonely microphone that stood in the middle of his companions. There was a look of longing in his blue eyes. Like he wanted nothing more then to sing his heart out with the others. Ichigo hated seeing him like that. He knew that the man was thinking about his singing career. He hadn't sang during the entire time he was in recovery. He was almost fully healed by now, but he still needed his voice. Singing was everything to Grimmjow, and without it, he'd die.

"We got the top score! Oh yeah!"

"We were playing _our_ song, Nnoi," Starrk said to the raven as he took off his guitar controller.

"Uh, guys? Dinner is ready," Ichigo said, interrupting their game.

"Awesome," Ggio said and they all gathered in the kitchen while Ichigo and Nelliel made everybody's plates. Ichigo noticed that Grimmjow hadn't joined them. He headed back into the living room to find the blunette starting up a different game.

"Hey Grimmjow, don't you wanna eat?"

"Nah, not really," the man mumbled his response.

"I thought you said you were hungry."

"I am. But ya said yer friend only gave ya half tha recipe. How do I know it won't taste like crap?"

"Everyone _else_ seems to like it," Ichigo blushed angrily and defended.

"Well I ain't everyone else."

"Why are you being so complicated?"

"Would ya rather me be _stupid?"_ Grimmjow mocked the teen.

_Too late for that_, Ichigo's inside voice chuckled.

"Whatever." He rolled his eyes. "You gonna eat or not?"

"Not."

"Fine. I don't really care."

"Ya don't? Wasn't it _me_ ya offered ta cook for in tha first place? I think ya care a little bit."

Ichigo stiffened as he flushed furiously. Grimmjow almost laughed in his face at how quick the kid could get flustered and agitated. It was fun messing with him. He found amusement when the teen stormed off into the kitchen. The blunette wondered why he hadn't been messing with Ichigo since he started working for him. But he thought it was as good a time as any to start now. He could slightly hear everyone chatting it up in the kitchen, so he decided to at least join them for that.

"Ya know, Ichi, ya look kinda _cute_ with that apron on ya," Nnoitora joked making everyone laugh. Grimmjow stiffened at the comment. Though he didn't know why.

"Yeah, he looks like a little housewife," Starrk added as he put soy sauce on his dish. "And with the way he cooks, I could just _marry_him." It made them laugh even harder when Ichigo turned bright red at the lewd comments.

"How inappropriate..." Ulquiorra stated and continued to eat.

"Y-You guys! That's not cool..." The red-head looked down to his lap.

"Yeah, shut up. It ain't _that_ funny," Grimmjow agreed. Nelliel, Nnoitora, Starrk, and Ggio seemed to share a gleam in their eyes when they looked at each other. Only Ulquiorra seemed to notice it, and the pale man sighed at the nonsense that would surely ensue.

"Aw, I'd _love_ to marry _Ichigo_!" Nelliel taunted and wrapped her arms around said boy's neck. "He's just too _handsome_ to resist!" She grabbed his cheek and pinched it. Ichigo blushed even more and rubbed the sore spot on his face. Grimmjow shifted in his spot at the changed atmosphere. For some reason, he didn't like whatever was going on.

"I'd marry him, too!" Ggio added. "Ichigo, you'll wait for me, right?" The younger boy asked in a mock-dreamy voice and clasped his hands together.

"U-Uh..." Ichigo was at a loss for words.

"No way! Ichi's gonna marry _me_!" Nnoitora proclaimed.

"It'll be me!" Nelliel shouted and grabbed Ichigo's arm.

"Like that'll ever happen. Ichigo, will you marry _me?"_ Starrk asked in a smooth tone and grabbed the teen's hand across the island. Ichigo stiffened and began to stutter.

"W-Well I-I—"

"KNOCK IT OFF!" Grimmjow shouted interrupting Ichigo and making everyone turn to him.

His eyes widened when he realized what he'd said. The man blushed before rushing off to his room. Nnoitora was already on the floor in a silent fit of laughter while the rest of them smiled. Though Starrk was the one who had a real reason to smile. He knew that Ichigo liked Grimmjow and that his brother would feel the same way eventually. He didn't really approve of their age difference, but he wanted both of them to be happy. It was just Grimmjow who had some internal conflict about who he was. He had always been so damn stubborn. After getting a full stomach from dinner, everyone gathered in the living room for a movie. Before that, they washed their own dishes and Ichigo took the liberty of washing the pots and pans he used.

As he scrubbed, Ichigo realized Grimmjow had not yet come out of his room.

_Was he really that embarrassed?_ Ichigo asked himself then rolled his eyes.

It made him wonder what the blunette really thought of him. Did he just think of him as just a friend? As just a caregiver? As something...more? It was killing him and he had to know. He set down the current dish he was washing and went upstairs. He walked to Grimmjow's room and lightly knocked on the door. The teen needed to know how Grimmjow felt because he was tired of getting embarrassed when ever the man was around. This was one if the rare instances that Ichigo Kurosaki would just go all out and say something he would normally keep to himself. This was one of his rare moments where no fucks were given. Grimmjow opened the door and leaned against his door frame.

"What do ya want, Berry?" He said. Ichigo blushed when he the man's muscles moved when he talked. He just stood there, red-faced and scowling as he struggled to get the words out. "C'mon, I'm watchin TV," the blunette rushed him.

"G-Grimmjow...I—"

"What is it, kid?"

"I like you!..." The red-head shut his eyes and waited for a response.

They were both quiet for a moment. Ichigo opened one eye and saw that Grimmjow had been momentarily stunned. He did not expect that. Well, he _kind of_ expected it. Grimmjow wasn't _that_ dense, and Ichigo wasn't too well at hiding the fact that he liked the man. Everyone knew, but no one expected him to come out and say it. And the teen had picked the perfect time. He had waited until everyone else was knocked out on the couch so that he could get this off of his chest in private. Ichigo stood there, leg rapidly bouncing in anticipation of what his reaction would be. But Grimmjow didn't know how to react. It was cute at first, a little teenager had a crush on him. But then he had come out and said it. Grimmjow didn't know if he felt the same way.

"Kid..." Ichigo heard as a hand ruffled his hair. His stiffened and blushed harder, refusing to look at the rock star. "That's cute, and I'm flattered and all...but...I don't swing that way." Ichigo felt as if a small bullet had been shot through his heart. "I have nothin against yer preference. Hell, Starrk's been in love with Ulqui since _highschool_ and I've been fine with keeping his secret. But I don't feel tha same way." He had a genuine look on his face as he tried to comfort the teen in the best—though awkward—way he knew how. "Sorry."

"I—" Ichigo started but the words caught in his throat. He cleared it and began again. "I understand...I just needed to say it and know how you felt about it."

"Well, alright. Ya good?"

"I'm good," the orange-head smiled slightly and turned to walk off.

"Ya should give yer friend a chance, though. What's his name...Shiro? He's head-over-heels for ya. I can tell," Grimmjow gave the teen what he thought were words of encouragement.

Ichigo smiled and nodded then headed back downstairs. It wasn't as bad as he though it would be. At the worst, he thought Grimmjow would yell at him and call him gross. But the blunette had been understanding for the most part and tried to let him down easy. It actually took a load off of him. He'd been stressing for no reason about telling Grimmjow how he felt. He could finally breathe now. But what the blunette had said last messed with his head. How could he tell that Shiro was still in love with him? How did Ichigo not know it himself? Shiro had never stopped loving him, and he had totally just forgotten. So he had been in love with Ichigo the entire time he was gone, too? They'd been living together, and Ichigo hadn't even noticed. It made him feel bad and rotten and ugly inside. He felt like throwing up.

_I've gotta talk to him_, he thought and grabbed his pained stomach. _I have to know how he feels._

At that moment, he realized that he smelled like food and sweat from the heat of the kitchen and from the stress of the past situation. He hadn't noticed it at first, but eventually it started to annoy him. He walked into the living room where everyone else was. Starrk was slightly awake with Ulquiorra sleeping on his shoulder, Nelliel asleep on his other, and Ggio stretched across the three of them. Nnoitora had _been_ passed out on the floor for quite some time.

"Hey Starrk, would it be alright if I took a shower?" He asked the brunette.

"Yeah, sure. Towels are in the bathroom and I think I have some old pants you could wear," he sleepily responded from the couch.

"Thanks. I'll be out in a few," he said then walked up the stairs.

Ichigo went into the bathroom and started to undress. He stepped into the hot spray and rinsed off then soaped up. He decided that he might as well wash his hair since the smell was there too. After his shower, the red-head felt refreshed and rejuvenated. He stepped out and dried off his body then hair. Ichigo reached for the spare clothes and his eyes widened when he didn't feel them. He looked around the bathroom and realized that he'd left them in Starrk's room.

_You've got to be joking_, Ichigo thought then smacked his forehead.

He'd have to leave the bathroom and go back to Starrk's room to get them. He wrapped the towel around his waist then quietly stepped out of the bathroom. The house was dark and it seemed that everyone must've been asleep. At least he wouldn't have to worry about someone seein him. As he walked, Ichigo could hear the storm that was still whistling and howling outside. He slowly opened Starrk's bedroom door and tiptoed in. He heard the brunette's loud snoring stop and he looked at him.

"Starrk I forgot my clothes," he whispered. "I'm just going to get them and go."

"...M'kay...lock the door when you go..."

The large man mumbled something else that was incoherent then fell back into his deep slumber. Ichigo grabbed the stack of spare garments and left the room. The door closed with a soft click and Ichigo began his walk back before he stopped. His towel was caught on something. The teen tugged at it and found out that it was stuck in Starrk's door. He tried the handle, but forgot it was locked. He didn't even let out a sigh. Ichigo frowned and glanced at the bathroom all the way down the hall. No one seemed to be up, maybe he could make it. With a roll of his eyes, he left the towel and took off sprinting towards safety. The red-head thought he heard a door click open and was shocked to see Grimmjow yawning and exiting his room.

His room was across the hall from the bathroom.

Grimmjow was surprised when he saw Ichigo sprinting down the hall with a pile of clothes over his crotch. Little droplets of water flew from the wet teen and landed on Grimmjow's face. In that spilt second, his face screwed up into a look of fascination and confusion. He slightly saw Ichigo's ass before he practically jumped into the bathroom and slammed the door. He looked to where the teen was running from and almost burst into laughter when he saw the towel hanging out of Starrk's door. He'd never seen that happen to anyone, and the fact that it was Ichigo made him smile even wider. He paced over to the bathroom door and knocked.

"Hey, Berry, I never knew yer ass was so small!" He laughed.

"Shut up!" Ichigo fumed behind the door.

He quickly got dressed then opened the door and shoved past the chuckling man. The teen walked down the hall to the guest room and slammed the door closed. Grimmjow followed him since he was the reason he had got up. He knocked on the locked door.

"Berry, I'm hungry. Could ya fix me somethin?"

"Could you stop callin me that?" Ichigo opened the door and said.

"Nah, it's so fun," the blunette smiled when the teen frowned. "Plus, it suits ya."

"Well I'm still not gonna make anything for you if you keep callin me that."

"Berry, please? Yer tha only one that can cook around here!"

"Then you should've ate earlier like everyone else!" Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"But I wasn't hungry then!" The blunette whined.

"I swear, you're like a little kid," Ichigo said angrily then opened the door and stomped past him to the kitchen.

"Heh."

Grimmjow followed with a sly grin and sat down at the island. He watched Ichigo move here and there to make him a BLT. It was satisfying to know that the kid would do this in the middle of the night. Ichigo finished and set the plate down infront of Grimmjow.

"I know it's not a gourmet meal, but I'm really tired and I don't feel like cooking anymore," Ichigo said with a sigh and leaned back on the counter.

"Whatever," the blunette replied with his mouth full. "It's actually really good." He took another big bite out of the sandwich. "Ya put tha right amount of mayo." Ichigo felt a little glad that he was enjoying it. It was a little awkward though, since the man wouldn't take his eyes off of him as he ate.

"What?" The red-head asked.

"Ya really like me?" Grimmjow was still surprised. Ichigo blushed.

"Y-Yeah, but...you don't feel the same way so..."

"Sorry."

"It's Ok. At least it didn't get too deep," Ichigo replied.

"That's what she said," Grimmjow laughed through his food making Ichigo roll his eyes. The teen washed Grimmjow's plate for him then the two headed off to bed.

"Night, Grimm," Ichigo yawned and walked off to the guest room.

Grimmjow's eyes widened when Ichigo used his nickname. It made his stomach flutter a bit, and it made him feel uncomfortable. Only people he was close to used that nickname. The feeling made him think about how he had turned down the teen earlier. Was it a mistake? No. Grimmjow wasn't like that. He liked girls, point-blank, period.

"G'night," he replied then headed to his own room.

* * *

**AWWWW! GRIMMY NO! He turned Ichigo down...he needs to embrace his sexuality! That's what everyone is waiting for! Well, he'll give in soon enough. I wonder what's up with Shiro...We'll find out about that next chapter! Tell me what you think!**

**R&R, please!**

**_~EMAE_**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: I'M SO HAPPY! :D Thank you all so much for your support! I remember being scared of posting the ****_first_**** chapter for fear of the story not being successful. But here we are at the 13th chapter with 100 REVIEWS! For your thank you gift, the SMUT is here! I know I trolled it out of 12, but I'm here to redeem myself. I hope you guys enjoyed the last chapter! Don't worry, that is not the last of GrimmIchi!**

**There is smut and a dream/flashback in this chapter so I think it's going to be a bit long. But that's always a good thing, right? While writing the smut for this, I listened to Time Is Running Out by Muse. Don't know why, but it fit for me. For the rest I listened to I Would Do Anything For You by Foster The People.**

**Fuck, I haven't written smut in a long while, so forgive me because I may be a little rusty...**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Shirosaki's eyes shot open then narrowed. His breathing was deep and slow and he didn't know why. He could hear his heartbeat thumping so loudly that he could see it in his vision. There was a cottony feeling in his mouth due to the dryness. His skin had an uncomfortable hot itch. He wanted to take off his stupid sweatshirt. Warm sweat dripped from his hair and rolled down his face. It must've been at least 90° in there. He blinked slowly and inhaled again. He was lying on a couch and hugging a pillow. The teen looked around and almost didn't recognized where he was.

_I'm still at home_, he thought fuzzily.

He tried to remember what had happened to him but his mind was cloudy. With a groan, the albino tried to move, but his body felt like it was full of iron feathers. His arm throbbed in pain and he moved his eyes down to look at it. His sleeve was rolled up and there was a small red spot near the inside of his elbow. He knew what had happened. It was in the back of his mind somewhere...but he couldn't bring it to light. His groin was in pain too, but for some reason, it felt good. Shiro grimaced due to the dull ache and gripped the pillow. He moved slightly in an attempt to get up then moaned into the pillow when his crotch rubbed against it. Desperate to get rid of the persisting sensation, he closed his eyes and began slowly rocking his hips.

The friction was unusually pleasurable and he muffled his moans into the pillow that he was almost tearing in two. Suddenly, the pillow was yanked away from him and he sighed. Shirosaki opened his eyes as he was rolled off of the couch and landed on his butt with a thud. He slowly looked up and saw Ginjou standing above him. He almost smiled but his brain flashed him his last memories. Instead, a frown grew on his face making the standing man laugh.

"Hey, Shiro-kun," He smirked when the flushed teen frowned at his old nickname. The man laughed and Shiro held his head at the sound. His eyes traveled lower and he saw the bulge in his pants. "Havin' a bit of trouble there?" He asked gesturing between the teen's legs. Shiro turned on his stomach and started to drag himself away. Ginjou shook his head and grabbed at his hood to stop him. "Wondering what's wrong with you?" The albino caught a glimpse of Tsukishima before he backed up on his knees and Ginjou kneeled behind him. The brown-eyed man pulled the teen's back to his chest and gently hooked his forearm under his chin. "Feels good, doesn't it?" He said in his ear.

Shiro didn't want to admit it, but it was true. Whatever was flowing through his veins right now felt _so_ good. It made his body feel hot, and all that heat was rapidly traveling down below his belt. The sweating teen fought back the urge to grind his hips on the man. He gripped the thick arm and weakly kicked his legs as he tried to pull away from him. Ginjou yawned and stayed still then wrapped his other arm around the albino's midriff. He held him still until Shirosaki eventually tired himself out and hung on his arm. The older man's hand slipped under his sweatshirt making his stomach flinch. Shiro watched as Tsushima kneeled in front of him and moved closer.

"We can make it go away, Shiro," the thin man said. Shiro wondered what he was talking about.

"That ache you're feeling. We can make it go away. You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Ginjou asked. The albino didn't respond.

_No, let me go!_ He shouted in his head but could find the focus to say it.

Because he recieved no answer, Ginjou's hand traveled into the loose sweatpants. Shirosaki gasped when the larger man's hand lightly grazed his aching arousal. He thrusted his hips up in need but Tsukishima pushed them back down.

"_Wouldn't you?"_ Ginjou asked again waiting for the teen's response.

In the back part of his mind, Shiro was scared shitless. That part knew what crazy fucking psychopaths these two were behind those handsome faces. Not so much Tsukishima, but the thin man would do anything for the other. And Ginjou wouldn't hesitate in killing anyone if they made the wrong move. But all that he knew meant nothing in this situation. Because the front part of his mind—_the part high on heroin_—disregarded it all. That part just wanted to be fucked senseless until he couldn't remember his own name. That part wanted to bask in the euphoric sensations of sex that he'd missed for so long. That part was the stronger of the two. When Tsukishima's lips connected with his, he immediately opened his mouth and whimpered loudly.

"Hm," Ginjou chuckled then ran his fingers through the white hair. "Good boy."

_No...what tha hell did they give me?_...

Shiro couldn't control himself. Whatever was in his system made him lose all mental control over himself. His body was getting aroused on its own while his mind screamed for things to stop. He shouldn't be horny right now. He should want Tsukishima and Ginjou to touch him. He shouldn't want to have sex right now.

But he did.

The teen moaned into the kiss when Ginjou wrapped his hand around his hot flesh and began stroking. He gripped Tsukishima's shirt and buried his face in it. He remembered how great sex was with these two. They did things to him that he never even dreamed of. It wasn't anything freaky, it was just really good sex. It was something that his body had been aching for, so he wasn't going to turn down this opportunity. Ginjou lightly pecked his neck and Tsukishima pressed their chests together as they kissed fiercely. He rocked back into Ginjou's growing arousal and shuddered when the man growled. Shiro bit his lip when he felt hands gripping his ass inside his sweatpants. He reached for Tsukishima's pants and started to undo them. After placing kisses all over the thin man's neck, he moved back to his lips. Ginjou pulled his head back by his chin and whispered in his ear.

"Take your pants off," the man growled, his voice filled with impatience.

Shiro obliged and slowly pulled down his sweatpants only for his back to be pushed and him to fall forwards. He slightly raised his hips when he felt Ginjou spreading his man grinned and the teen gripped the carpet before him before pushing himself up. Tsukishima sat on the couch as Shiro continued on his pants. As soon as they were past his thighs the albino thoughtlessly took him into his hand. The thin man groaned at the sensation and gripped the pillow next to him.

"Fuck..." He mumbled.

Ginjou prodded at Shirosaki's unprepared entrance with his throbbing member. He started to push the head in but Shiro whimpered and pulled away. The older smirked and held onto his hip.

"You haven't fucked in a while, Shiro-kun. Or rather, you haven't _been_ fucked in a while. I can tell by how fuckin tight you got," he chuckled and pushed his cock further in. "Don't worry. I'll take care of that."

Shiro groaned and gripped the cushions on the couch. The drug made him numb to pain, but the sensation of being filled up was a little overwhelming. He pushed back to get more of the feeling though. When Ginjou was fully seated inside of him, the teen let out a shuddery breath. Tsukishima gripped his hair and shoved his mouth back down on him. Shiro moaned in surprised but moved his tongue around the heated length. Ginjou made no time for the albino to adjust and set a rough and hard pace, making sure that he jerked forward with every thrust. The air was soon filled with the sounds of grunts and moans, overpowered by the loud slapping of skin. Shiro started to push back into every thrust, eventually making the man behind him sit back.

Tsukishima stood and allowed him to straddle Ginjou and ride him. He pistoned in and out of Shiro's mouth, shuddering when the teen took him deep into his throat. Ginjou held Shirosaki's stomach and kept their bodies close as he talked in his ear. The teen couldn't believe he was in this situation. Sure, he liked it, but now he was caught up with his past again. And there was no escaping this time because once you fuck with Ginjou, he owns your ass for life. No pun intended. He continued to grind his drugged up body into Ginjou while the older man kissed his neck and Tsukishima fucked his mouth. Yeah, it was dirty, but it got him so fucking hot. He distinctly remembered sex with these two, and it never felt like this before.

It must've been those drugs they gave him because he'd never gotten so libidinous so quickly. This drug made sex feel so good, so maybe it wasn't a bad thing. Maybe he'd been missing out everytime they'd offered it to him. Shiro was surprised when Tsukishima shoved his cock deep down his throat and came hard with a grunt before falling back to the couch to recover. He choked making some splatter on his face but he swallowed everything else. He forgot how it felt to be used like this because he only let these two do so. Ginjou pushed him on down then grabbed his wrists and kept pounding into him. Shirosaki's thighs shook from the pleasure racking through them so violently. The albino could feel his face rubbing against the carpet and couldn't help but moan loudly.

"Fucking hell...you don't—ngh...you don't know how much I...fucking miss this tight ass of yours, Shiro..." Ginjou moaned loudly and gripped the teen's waist firmly, titling his hips so that his thick cock could plunge deeper and deeper into the constricting heat inhaled him eagerly.

"Ha...Ah!...H-Harder!" Shiro groaned and lifted his ass higher in the air for more.

"Heh, still a needy little...slut, aren't you Shiro-kun?" He obliged and grabbed the teen's neglected cock.

He gave the weeping member a firm tug making Shirosaki moan needily. Ginjou felt the familiar sensation pooling in his stomach so he sped up his pace even more. By this time, Shiro's thighs were red from the abuse and his body was sweating profusely making him curse for wearing the damn sweatshirt. He wanted it to be over, but he just couldn't get enough. The albino wished he could fuck like this all the time. Ginjou's thrusts grew shallow and sporadic before he pushed in one last time and released a generous load of liquid pleasure deep inside of the teen. Shiro shuddered before the warming sensation made him cum into the larger man's hand. His breathing was shaky and deep as he came down from his high.

"Well...thanks for the fun, Shiro-kun," the man smirked. "But we gotta go, ne?" The room began to spin when the albino noticed the two others getting dressed. Ginjou grabbed the bag of heroin and turned towards the door but stopped. He walked back over to Shiro and squatted near him then gripped the front of his sweatshirt. He yanked his face towards him and tried to get the boy to focus. "Now, it'd be cruel of me to leave you like this, so I'm going to give you something," the man held up the drugs. Shiro glanced at it through his non-swollen eye then back to Ginjou. He slowly shook his head and tried to breathe through his pained nose. Ginjou almost punched the kid again but composed himself. "And why not?"

"I..." He struggled to speak through his hazy mind. "I said I would...if ya left me alone. Ya didn't," he growled the last part.

"Whatever," Ginjou said and dropped the teen back to the floor. "You don't have a choice anyway." He threw the bag at him. "Now, I'm going to leave these with you. You're going to sell these for me. I'll be back in two weeks time. If you don't have my money, I will kill you. Get rid of the drugs, you'll die, _and_ I'll kill whoever your roommate is."

"No!" Shiro shouted.

"Thanks, now I have some leverage. If you would've kept quiet, I wouldn't have known you care about them," Ginjou said with a smirk. Shiro lowered his head and slammed his hand down. He would've known that if his mind hadn't been drugged up right now. And if he wasn't still hazy from the rough sex he just had.

_Dammit_, he thought.

"I'll do it...just don't hurt Ichigo," he mumbled.

"And you gave me a name! You're no good at this, huh?" The man shook his head and turned to follow Tsukishima out the door then stopped again. "If you fuck up, Shirosaki, I will stuff _every ounce_ of dope into you _and_ your little roomy, ne?" He shut the door with a bang leaving Shirosaki to himself.

"Fuck...FUCK!" The albino shouted and laid back on the floor.

He didn't have the strength to move even though he was jittery as hell right now. He remembered when Ginjou would be like this. He'd take his drugs, be stupid and slow as hell one moment then jumpy and aware the next. It was a terrible thing to watch. And now he got to experience it. Shiro was tired, so he decided to sleep. He couldn't move anyway.

* * *

"I'm sure he'll be here, Ichigo. He said he'd come get you when the storm died down, right?" Starrk asked Ichigo.

"Yeah, but...I've been calling non-stop since last night, and he's still not answering," the red-head said worriedly and quickly bounced his leg in anticipation.

"Maybe he just fell asleep," Grimmjow suggested.

"He should be awake by now, it's nine in the morning...maybe if I call him again," Ichigo unlocked his phone again and typed in his number before it was snatched from him. "Hey!"

"Let him sleep, I'll drive ya home," Grimmjow insisted.

"Grimmjow, you can't drive yet," he rolled his eyes.

"So?" The blunette shrugged uncaringly.

"So I'll take him," Starrk took his keys from him then shoved them in his pocket. "It'll take us a while since the streets are probably being clears of snow, but we'll make it. C'mon, Ichigo."

"Ok," he agreed then went to go get his things.

* * *

Shirosaki woke up and pain instantly shot through his body. It went through his eye and nose before it traveled everywhere else. He groaned in pain and curled into the fetal position on the floor. His abdomen was still tense with the post-orgasm tightness from the sex he remembered just having. His legs and ass hurt, probably from the sex, too. He felt so gross, laying on the floor in just a sweatshirt with semen running down his thighs. The bastard didn't even have the decency to use a condom. He looked down and near his leg was a familiar bag. Shiro sat up and remembered the situation he had just entered.

_Great_...He thought to himself.

And now Ichigo had been pulled into his ring of bullshit as well. That was the last thing he wanted. Now he'd have to do as Ginjou said because when Ginjou said he'd do something, he'd do it without hesitation. He'd kill Ichigo in a heartbeat to get what he wanted. And he wanted Shiro to get involved with drugs. The albino would do it, only to keep Ichigo alive. He'd had a good run, so it didn't matter if he died. He just wanted to keep Ichigo safe. Shirosaki started to drag himself towards his room where he threw the bag in then shut the door. He went into the bathroom and dragged himself across the mess Tsukishima had made looking for the drugs. He then propped himself up on the side of the tub and panted deeply in exhaustion. The teen turned on the shower and waited for the water to get warm. Hot water would soothe his aching and itching skin. He slightly heard his phone go off and new it was Ichigo by the ringtone.

_Sorry, Ichigo_..._I'll pick ya up later_...

The teen pulled himself up then tumbled into the tub. It hurt but the hot water immidiatley cancelled out the pain. He sighed and laid still under the hot spray. Shiro closed his eyes and tried to relax. His memories pushed at the front of his mind and he fell asleep. Memories of the two years he'd been gone flooded into his mind.

* * *

_Shirosaki was sitting alone inside a Coffee Bean. He was finishing off a Chai Tea Latte and a Chocolate Chunk Muffin. He hadn't really been doing anything lately which was why he was here. Singapore was a rather large place for one person, and he had plenty of time to explore it. He'd been born here, but he and his mother left when he was just four days old. After leaving that bastard Gin, the teens travels had dumped him in this city-state somehow, so he thought of what he should do. Maybe he'd go to the Skypark to ride the Flyer and take pictures or to the Food Playground and pick up some chick. He'd decide to explore his hometown later. Because right now, he just wanted to enjoy his latte and muffin._

_His eyes drifted over to the cash register where a man was purchasing something. He was tall and thin, but well built. His face was attractive, but it's perfection was marred by a small scar above his left eyebrow._

Still, he looks like he'd be a good fuck_, Shiro thought to himself and sipped on his latte._

_The teen shifted in his seat when the thought of sleeping him made his jeans become tight. He was one of those unfortunate teenagers with a very sensitive libido. The man turned in his direction and they held eye contact for a long time. The albino felt the slightest bit of heat in his cheeks and looked down. The tall man was _very_ attractive. It was almost too much to look over to where he was sat and read. Though Shiro prolonged his drink just so that he could look at him longer. The way he licked whipped cream off of his lips made the teen shudder and want to look at him even more. His phone went off and he quickly turned it down when people looked at him in annoyance. He looked and saw Ichigo's name on the screen._

_Sighing, he sent it to voicemail and put it in his bag. The loud noise however, didn't disturb the reading Adonis. Shiro continued to nibble on the muffin and sip little by little on his latte. When the man stood, he looked down again and ate his muffin. The teen was surprised when he stopped next to him. He slowly looked up and their eyes met again._

_"Isn't your coffee cold by now?" He asked in a smooth tone and raised an eyebrow._

_"It's a latte. And no," Shiro responded and sipped it and choked because it was infact cold. When the man smirked he frowned. "Isn't _your_ coffee cold?"_

_"It's tea. And yes, it is in fact cold," he said with no shame. "I wasted it on waiting for you to leave because I thought you were a cop."_

_"How old do I look?" Shirosaki asked and raised an eyebrow._

_"How old are you?"_

_"...17 in three months..." Shiro held up three fingers._

_"Hm. You could at least pass for 20," the man said thoughtfully._

_"Well, I'm not."_

_"Shouldn't you be in school, then?"_

_"..." Shiro averted his gaze and ate a piece of his muffin._

_"Ah, I see," he nodded. There was a bit of silence before he spoke again. "Well," he moved to sit across from Shiro. "If you're not a cop, and you don't have school...want to come back to my place?" He lowered his voice so the other patrons in the shop wouldn't hear. The albino looked up and could see the gleam in the man's eye. It was hot and it made Shiro want him badly. With a gulp he nodded, blushing and shakily packing up his things, leaving his muffin and latte forgotten on the table._

_"My name is Tsukishima, by the way," the man said as he led the teen down the street and into the traffic on the sidewalk._

_"S-Shirosaki," he replied and grabbed Tsukishima's coat to keep up with him. He thought that he should be ashamed, but this was what he did. Had sex with anyone who wanted it as much as he did._

_That evening ended in discarded clothes and hands everywhere and condom wrappers on the floor. Shiro woke up in the middle of the night with an arm draped over his side. He was right when he guessed that Tsukishima would be a good fuck. He pulled away and put on some boxers that were on the floor, though he didn't know if they were his. He walked over to a window to see where he was because he didn't remember. He could see the lit up city down below and cars going in and out a parking garage. There were men in suits taking keys from drivers and going to park their cars. That's when Shirosaki realized something._

_"This is a hotel," he said out loud to himself._

_"Yeah," a sleepy voice behind him said. "So?" Tsukishima wrapped his arms around Shiro's waist and pulled him close to his naked body._

_"_So_, you're not from around here."_

_"No, I'm actually here on business. Sorry I didn't tell you, if that's what's bothering you."_

_"It's fine. Where are you from, then?" Shiro asked curiously._

_"Like where was I born? I don't really remember," the tall man said thoughtfully. "I just know that tomorrow morning I have to get on a plane to meet a friend in America."_

_"America? Like the _United States?" _Shiro asked and turned around to face him. The man nodded._

_"Want to go with me? I could teach you English, if you want."_

_"You'd let me go with you? But we barely know each other."_

_"Well, you seem like a pretty cool kid. I think it'd be alright if you tagged along," Tsukishima ruffled his hair and the teen closed his eyes. "Besides..." His hands traveled behind Shiro and gripped his ass lightly. "I have a feeling I'll miss this a lot more than rationally needed." He pushed him to the window and placed soft kisses on Shirosaki's neck. The teen whimpered and could feel his arousal through the boxers he was wearing. "So, what do you say?"_

_"Y-Yeah, sure," the albino replied before a small moan escaped his lips._

_Saying those two words couldn't have made Shirosaki's life any worse. When they got to America, the two spent a bit of time together before they met up with Tsukishima's friend. They started dating after just three days. Tsukishima brought them to a condo in another part of town where they met his friend Ginjou._

_"Whose this shrimp?" He asked when he answered the door. Shiro frowned until Tsukishima chuckled._

_"He's with me, Ginjou. You going to let us in or what?"_

_The two men clasped hands then Ginjou stepped back to let them in. The teen could feel Ginjou's eyes on his ass but ignored it and sat in an empty chair. The house smelled like weed and cigarette smoke and something else Shiro couldn't put his finger on. Tsukishima told him to stay in the front room so that he could to speak with Ginjou for a minute. When they were gone, another man walked in and sat on the couch across from him. He had long blond hair and horribly straight teeth. His name was Shinji and he was crashing with Ginjou for a while. The became cool with each other, and Shinji introduced the teen to his boyfriend Kensei. Shiro became great friends with the silver haired man and spent most of his time with them._

_Unbeknownst to Shiro, Shinji was to act as a sort of babysitter while Ginjou and Tsukishima handled their drug deals and money. Tsukishima had begged Ginjou not to bring him into what they did because the albino was a good kid. The brunette agreed until Tsukishima went away again and left Shiro in Ginjou's care. The teen didn't remember exactly how he ended up in Ginjou's bed, but he almost fell into tears when he told Tsukishima the truth. Surprisingly, the man just kissed him and asked him if he was Ok. He knew that Ginjou must've given the kid something to make him sleep with him. He decided to tell him what the two men had been doing all this time. Shiro almost couldn't believe that his boyfriend was a co-drug dealer._

_And with Ginjou of all people. Though in reality, he didn't really care all that much. Over the next six months, they had developed into a three-way relationship where Shirosaki would occasionally sleep with either of them. Though he carried feelings for Tsukishima, he loved sex with both of them. He started to go with them to their deals and see exactly what they were doing. It bothered him a bit to see the kind of people they were dealing to. They were all people that had a life once that had been ruined by drugs. It reminded him of his mom and it made him feel really bad about what they were doing. He decided to tell Ginjou and Tsukishima how he felt but Ginjou laughed in his face and told him to grow up._

_He told him that this was the real world and everyone can't be nice. Then Ginjou would use the drugs himself and they would have sex while he was high. Soon Shiro got tired of causing people's suffering. So one night he stole all the money and drugs he could get his hands on then got on the soonest flight to Singapore and made his way back to Japan. It would've been difficult to fly with the drugs if Ginjou had not taught him how to smuggle them. He caught back up with Ichigo and had been in hiding for a year and a half. In that time, he could tell that the two men didnt really care for the back-stabbing he gave them. By how coldly Tsukishima treated him, he couldn't tell if he still even cared. Now he was back in the same situation, but his life depended on it this time. And Ichigo was involved too. The most he could do is cooperate and keep then both alive._

* * *

Ichigo waved at Starrk to thank him for the ride then hurried up the stairs and entered the apartment. The door was unlocked and that worried him.

"Shiro?" He called.

There was no response and Ichigo became anxious. He heard noise from further into the apartment so he walked on. He was about to open Shirosaki's bedroom door but he stopped when he heard the shower in the bathroom. He opened the door and shouted when he saw the tub overflowing with water and Shiro's unmoving figure in it. His nose had barely been submerged before Ichigo ran over and pulled him out then turned off the shower. Water spilled everywhere but Ichigo had to make sure that his best friend was alive. He didn't hear him breathing so he gave him CPR. It wasn't working for a while, but eventually Ichigo saw the albino's chest moving. The red-head leaned back against the tub and laid his friend's head in his lap. The unconscious teen slowly began to breathe again and he opened his eyes. They widened when he saw tears in Ichigo's eyes.

"Ichi..." Shiro said lowly.

"Shiro...What the fuck were you doing?!" Ichigo sobbed worriedly before wiping away his tears.

"Hey, hey...I'm fine, yeah? Look...I'm Ok," he weakly tried to assure the red-head.

"What happened to your eye? And your nose?"

"Oh, that...I, uh," he had to come up with a lie. "I took a mean tumble down from tha attic. Hurt my legs a little so I decided ta take a hot shower. Guess I fell asleep."

"If you'd been asleep, you would've woken up the second you inhaled water. You were unconcious!" Ichigo told him.

"Heh...yer gonna be a great doctor one day."

Shiro tried to steer away from the subject so he wouldn't be caught in a lie. Sitting here with Shiro looking up at him, Ichigo remembered the previous night. He needed to talk about what had happened the years he was gone, and how he felt about him.

"Shiro..."

"Yes?" The albino answered.

"What happened to you?" The red-head asked.

"I just told ya what happened."

"No...I mean those two years you were gone. What happened?"

"Oh..." Shirosaki thought about what he should say to him. He certainly couldn't tell him exactly what happened, but he could give him a cover of everything. "I did a lot of traveling."

"Yeah?" Ichigo's face lightened up and he listened more intently. "Where?"

"I went around China, India, too. Met a lot of people. Had sex with those people," Ichigo blushed making the other teen laugh. "I thought I fell in love, but...that whole thing was stupid," Shiro said then took a deep breath and placed his arm over his eyes.

He hated memories of Gin. That man was partly responsible for what was happening to him now. Ichigo felt bad for what he was being told. It didn't seem like Shirosaki had a good journey when he ran away. And he felt responsible for everything.

"Go on," he pushed.

"I found myself in Singapore."

"Weren't you born there?" He smiled when Shiro nodded. "Tell me about it."

"It's beautiful, Ichi. It was a great experience until I got involved with tha wrong people," he frowned. "Of course I didn't know that until I went ta America with them."

"You went to America? What's it like?" Ichigo's face lit up like his did when Tsukishima told him about the place.

"It's big. Lotta fat people." The two shared a laugh. "Then I came back."

"That's it? There was nothing in between?"

"Nothing I'm ready ta talk about now. I'll tell ya eventually, but not now," Shiro said then closed his eyes then breathed deeply.

It hurt him a bit to tell Ichigo this since he'd been holding it inside for so long. Not even his best mate Kensei knew all of what had happened those two years. It was a bit funny to him that this would be how he admitted it. Shiro chuckled and it threw Ichigo off a bit, but he just shrugged. He couldn't stop the bursts of laughter until he was just giggling in Ichigo's lap.

"What?" Ichigo asked.

"Nothing...just thinkin. I'm a nutcase, you know that," the albino replied with a lazy smile. Ichigo smiled a bit too, seeing him happy like that.

_I have to know_, Ichigo thought.

"Shiro?"

"Hm?"

"Shiro...How do you feel about me?" Ichigo asked and unconciously played with Shiro's wet hair. "Do you still feel the same way as you did back then?" The albino took a while to answer, but he figured he should just admit it.

"Yeah, I do," he said and made eye contact with his bestfriend. "...You're so special, Ichigo...just know that. Don't ever change. You're so fucking special to me..."

Shiro blurted it out and pressed his eyes. They were stinging with tears and he didn't want to let the drop. Ichigo bit his lip with a determined face before he leaned down and pressed his lips to Shiro's. The latter of the two was suprised but kissed back eagerly. Ichigo's lips were softer that he ever imagined. His tongue was smooth and he loved the way it felt upon his. Kissing with someone upside down was awkward, but with Ichigo it would feel right in anyway. He held the side of Ichigo's head and pulled him down to kiss him deeper. His hand snaked to the nape of the red-head's neck and played with the hair there. Ichigo moaned in his mouth which sent shivers through Shiro's body. Underneath the soaking sweatshirt, he could feel himself getting hard. His mind told him to just enjoy the moment, but his body wanted to take Ichigo and ravish him.

_Sex with Ichigo_..._That sounds nice_... The still drug hazed part of his mind thought. Before that part took over, he ripped his lips from Ichigo's.

"What?..." Ichigo asked, flustered and confused and out of breath.

"Ichigo I...I want to keep you safe..."

"What? Why?"

"Just trust me...I want to...I really do, but...I just can't right now," Shiro sighed and rubbed his face.

"So we'll take things slow..." Ichigo suggested. Shiro shook his head.

"Ichi..."

"Please Shiro...I need you. I really do. I didn't realize it before. I've felt bad all this time for driving you away. And now that I have you, I don't want to let you go...I _can't_ let you go. Please..." The red-head pressed his forehead to the other's and closed his eyes. "_Please_..."

Shirosaki couldn't believe that Ichigo was puking up his feelings right now. The albino had been wrong about Ichigo. He hadn't forgotten, he'd just repressed his feelings like Shiro had done himself. He sighed and gripped the back of Ichigo's head. He held his hand and kissed him tenderly. Ichigo smiled shyly and leaned back to rest his head on the side of the tub. It'd been a stressful past couple of hours for the both of them. They were too tired to move so they decided to sleep away the morning and afternoon on the bathroom floor.

* * *

**God...that lemon felt wack as hell...**

**Just know that they will get better, if that one was shaky. I still have to get back into that smut-writing groove since I've been focusing in school for so long.**

**BUT SCHOOL IS ALMOST OVER :D**

**How about that moment between Ichi and Shiro? It was sweet right!? Well get ready for a lot more of that! I'm still having trouble deciding who Shiro should be with in the end...it's frustrating...but maybe you guys can help me?**

**Anyway, I want to know if you guys liked the length of this chapter and would like to have them this long from now on. Of course I would be uploading every two weeks instead. But it's up to you guys. Tell me what you want!**

**R&R, please!**

**_~EMAE_**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: I AM REALLY SORRY!**

**I've been gone for a whole MONTH! :o**

**I had a pretty rough end of the year. I got out of school on the 7th but the day before I had to be rushed to the emergency room because of an infection on my lung and appendix. It was rough...my doctor says it happens commonly in young people, but they don't know the cause or reason why. So I spent the entire night and morning in the awful hospital. I hate hospitals...they always smell like sickness and death. :P**

**For some odd reason, every year at the end of it all, my teachers decide to give us a fuckload of work. Why? I have no idea. That's just the way it goes.**

**I've been recovering from treatment for this week, so I'll try to make those missing weeks up in this chapter, Ok?**

**I'm out of school now! So before I go to camp and get a job, I'll be able to upload on time!**

**While writing this, I listened to Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Rey.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

When Shirosaki woke up, he was surprised to be in his bedroom. He sat up quickly then looked around. On the side of his bed near the wall, the bag of heroin laid untouched and still. He reached down and shoved it under before his door opened. Ichigo stepped in with a steaming cup and a tray of something else. He walked over then sat on Shiro's bed and set the tray down. The albino flinched a bit when Ichigo leaned in and kissed him.

"Are you Ok? Did I hurt your nose?" The red-head asked worriedly.

"Nah, just gotta get used ta that," he replied and touched his lips.

"Oh. Well, let me help you..." Ichigo said before leaning in and kissing the other teen. Shiro smiled before he broke into a fit of coughs. "Here." He handed him the warm cup.

"Thanks." The albino took a big gulp of the hot liquid inside.

"I think we're both a little sick. We were sleeping on the wet floor so I guess we caught a cold," the red-head informed before he let out a sneeze. "I'm kinda too tired to work today..."

"Maybe you should just stay home with me instead," Shirosaki suggested and tried to hide his grin.

"Yeah," Ichigo nodded and agreed. "Maybe." He got up and left the room to go get his cellphone.

_Fuck_, Shiro thought remembering for the umpteenth time what was going on.

He scratched at the irritating itch on his forearm and sighed. He knew what was up. Ginjou used to itch like this all the time. When his weekly supply of drugs would run out, he'd itch like crazy and go off on an angry tirade. And it wasn't always verbally. Shiro shut his eyes and tried to forget those thoughts and focus on something else. Thinking of Ichigo always made him feel better, so that's what he went with. The two were apparently in some weird sort of relationship that neither of them could define. They weren't quite dating since Shiro didn't want to get too close, but they weren't single either because they both wanted each other. It was hard to explain. He thought for sure that Ichigo was head over heels for that Grimmjow guy, but he guessed he was wrong.

And though they could not define their relationship yet, he had Ichigo. And that's all that really mattered right now. Said teen walked in and retook his seat next to his best friend.

"So what happened?"

"I called Grimmjow and told him that I'd be missing for a few days. I let Nel know what medicine to give him and what exercises to have him do. They should be fine," Ichigo told him.

"That's good," the albino uttered before yawning and stretching his arms behind his head. Ichigo blushed at the flexing of his muscles before he noticed something.

"Shiro?" He spoke.

"Hm?"

"When did you get this tattoo?" Ichigo poked at the small strawberry right above his armpit.

"Uh..." The older teen thought it would be a bit awkward to tell him why he got it, but it didn't really matter at this point. "I got this while I was gone. It was so I wouldn't forget ya." He said with a slight smile.

"But why a strawberry?" Ichigo asked with a confused face. Shirosaki sat up because could not believe he was serious.

"Geez, yer so dense," he said with a chuckle then laid back again.

Ichigo awkwardly laid next to him and the two stayed apart in silence. That is, until Shiro strangely rolled on his side and placed an arm around Ichigo's back then pulled him close. Ichigo blushed because his face was gently pressed up against Shiro's bare muscular chest. He unconsciously took a deep breath and smelled the scent that could only be described as Shirosaki. He remembered when the albino used to be thin and scrawny, but he guessed they had both changed since then.

"Uh—" Ichigo started.

"Sh." Shiro quickly shushed him then placed his nose in his hair.

_Strawberries...Always helps_, he thought after he took a deep breath.

"Shiro..." Ichigo groaned when they were like that for a long time. His arms had been pressed between them and they were starting to cramp up.

"I..."

"You what?"

"I'm...happy that you want me. I'm happy that you want me, too. I'm just...happy..." The albino said quietly in his hair.

Ichigo had nothing to say because he didn't expect that. Instead he just hugged him back. The two fell asleep like that and never moved throughout the day. A little later, Shirosaki's eyes popped open. He started scratching at his skin furiously. He got out of the bed and walked to the bathroom. His skin felt like it was burning and the spot on his forearm was aching. The albino turned on the tap and splashed his face with water. He propped himself up on his arms and looked into the mirror.

_No. I can beat this. I don't need that shit. I don't_, he thought.

Shiro decided to take a cold shower to shake off the jitters he was having, but it didn't work. Nothing did. Not drinking a beer, not any kind of deep breathing. He even tried touching the stove to take his mind away from the itch. But it wouldn't go away. He was at the point of almost crying. Nothing could fix this. Nothing but...No. He couldn't. Not while Ichigo was just in the other room. Not ever. But...he wanted it to stop. He knew how to fix it—he'd watched Ginjou plenty of times—but he didn't want to. The teen had a choice to make: Don't use the drugs and go back to bed, risking his relationship with Ichigo because the red-head would eventually discover it once he saw him start to wig out. Or, he could take the heroin while the other was sleeping and keep it a secret, keeping the relationship afloat. With a sigh, Shiro walked back to his room and slowly opened the door. Considering both his physical and emotional situations, it would be a hard decision.

* * *

When Ichigo woke, he found himself alone in Shiro's bed. He sat up then walked out the room. The house was dark, so it must've been well into the night. The TV was on in the living room. The teen could tell by the bluish glow cast on the walls. Shirosaki was sitting on the couch alone and still as a statue. Ichigo shook his head and assumed he was asleep. The albino always did sleep better in front of the television. He hung a blanket over Shiro then went back to his own room to sleep. But he didn't see that Shiro's eyes were open.

The teen was awake, but he wasn't at the same time. Before he'd gone to the couch, he went to the bathroom.

With a needle in his hand.

Shiro had made his decision.

He chose to not tell Ichigo about what had happened to him and try to act normal as possible. With a mind full of guilt, he went to the bathroom and opened the small bag of drugs. The teen dumped it into the spoon he'd retrieved, spilling some into the sink. Hands shaking furiously, he put his lighter under and lit it. Shirosaki's eyes filled with tears as he watched the white powder turn into a brownish liquid. He almost sobbed when he sucked it into the barrel then looked at himself in the mirror. It was only a matter of time until the image that stared back at him was a pale, shriveled, weak being. He didn't want that, but if he did this now, it'd be inevitable. He could still turn back. But the urge...and Ichigo...Ichigo was too important to him.

Shiro would be damned if he lost him. He wrapped a shoestring around his arm and pulled it taut with his teeth. A few seconds passed until he saw the vein he was looking for appear within his pale skin. With a heavy, shaky sigh, the albino stabbed the large vein and pushed the plunger. He groaned and fell against the wall as the white heat coursed through him. It burned like _hell_, but sent a jolt through him like no other.

_Oh...Fuck yeah... _He thought as he focused on the feeling.

Shiro supported himself on the wall as he made his way to the couch in the living room. He sat down and turned on the TV. He didn't know why, but it always soothed him. When he leaned back, he could feel his senses deaden. It was the most euphoric feeling he'd ever had.

This shit was intense.

This was better than sex.

This was nirvana.

He looked down to his hand, and found he couldn't move it. Shirosaki remained still in his state of artificial bliss, eyes cold as they stared off into nothingness, and his brain, God knows where that drifted off to. The teen didn't move for hours until he heard footsteps. It must've been Ichigo. Something warm was placed over him, much to his displeasure since he was burning up already. He knew Ichigo thought he was asleep because the younger said nothing to him. When the red-head went back to sleep, Shiro regained control of his limbs and shoved the cover off. It was too hot.

After a few more hours, the sun started to come up. He regained his senses and got off of the couch. Using the wall for support, the teen shuffled back to his room. He was surprised to see Ichigo curled up in his bed. He thought for sure that Ichigo was in his own room. With a shrug, he tried to gently slide into the bed so not to wake the other. When he finally got into a comfortable position, he was startled when Ichigo placed his arm over him and curled up to his back. The albino thought it should feel right, but right now, it just felt weird. Still, he slept soundly next to the person that mattered to him the most.

* * *

Over the next few days, Grimmjow found himself bored beyond belief. Usually he would mess around with Ichigo and tease him, but the red-head had been sick with a cold. All he did was sit around and do nothing. Nelliel tried to get him to get up and do his exercise, but he just lacked the motivation to do anything.

"Grimmjow you're not gonna get better if you don't keep your entire body healthy," the green-haired woman scolded him.

"Eh...I'll be fine," he replied and waved her off.

"Whatever. Don't come cryin to me when you can't get off that couch."

"I won't." Nelliel sighed and shook her head then walked out the door to go somewhere with Ulquiorra.

"Someone's missing a certain ginger, huh?" Starrk said and plopped down on the couch across from him.

"Shut tha hell up, Starrk," Grimmjow growled. "I'm just bored."

"Because a certain ginger's not around?"

"_Shut up_, Starrk."

"No shame in admitting it, Grimm. I knew you had a thing for guys way before you even did," the brunette teased.

"What tha fuck are ya talkin about?"

"Oh c'mon, Grimm. You may not see it just yet, but you're into dudes."

"Say it again, Starrk. Say it again and I swear ta Jesus Christ on high I'll rip yer fuckin esophagus out," the blunette said with little threat.

"_Please_, Grimm," Nnoitora said as he entered the room. "Me and Ggio are tha only ones in this house who're _aren't_ total fags."

"Oh yes, you are! You were all over Ichigo's friend that one night!"

"Yeah, but I was just messin with 'im. Sure I'd love ta fuck someone as good looking as him, but I've got my eyes set on someone. And for something permanent," the bean pole said with a smile.

"Who?!" Grimmjow and Starrk asked at the same time.

"Uh-uh. This is about you, Grimm. Just accept that yer a fag and deal."

"You guys don't know what yer talking about," Grimmjow said and rolled his eyes.

"Sure we do," Starrk scoffed. "We've known you since the 3rd grade. Though around 10th grade is when I saw the signs."

"What fuckin signs?!"

"Oh, I have my ways," Starrk said slyly.

Grimmjow frowned and crossed his arms. He was _not_ gay. That was the last thing he'd be. There was no way, _absolutely no way_, he was into guys. That'd be too weird for him. Then...why did he feel like he missed Ichigo so much? The kid had only been gone for two or three days, yet he wanted him back as soon as possible. He was actually upset that he'd be away for even that long. It was weird how he thought of all the different things he missed about that teen. Like his big, chocolate eyes, when he smiled at his brothers playing video games, how he would laugh at an exauhsted Grimmjow after a workout. The blunette thought that maybe something in him had changed after that night. When Ichigo confessed to him, maybe a spark of attraction lit up in him, too.

Maybe...Maybe he did like guys. Well, really only Ichigo, but still...

"So...what do I do then?" He mumbled to himself.

"HA! He admitted it!" Nnoitora said triumphantly. "I heard it!"

"Shut it, Nnoi!" The injured man shouted. "Ah! This is fucking weird! What should I do?"

"Well, for one thing, don't pursue Ichigo. He's barely 17, so that constitutes jail time. Maybe in a couple of years you'll catch him. If someone else doesn't get him first," Starrk I formed thoughtfully.

"What do ya mean?" Grimmjow asked.

"Well, Ichigo's a pretty good looking guy. He's adorable and clueless, someone will _definitely_ try to pick him up."

"I know I would," Nnoitora teased the blunette earning a glare. "Just kidding, dude."

"Well, I don't like any other guys. So do I just have to wait around for him?" The frustrated blunette asked irritatedly.

"I don't know man. Ya could always choose some chick," Nnoitora said with a shrug then grabbed the remote.

"Well then this entire conversation was a total waste of time!"

"No it wasn't. Ya came out ta yer closest friends," the raven said with a chuckle.

"Not all of them," Starrk corrected.

"Has anyone seen Ulquiorra?" Ggio asked as he walked down the stairs. "I wanna challenge him to a rematch."

"He's up at tha studio with Nel. Ya know it's rare that he's ever over here. Yer gonna have ta call him later for a rematch," Grimmjow informed his little brother, much to the latters discontent.

"I'll play with ya, Ggio. I can help ya practice so you can actually _beat_ him this time," Nnoitora said and turned on the console.

Grimmjow watched the two set up until Starrk snapped to get his attention. He looked over and his brother nodded towards the kitchen then walked into it. Grimmjow got up and followed him.

"What is it?" He said and sat at the island.

"Look, Grimm, I know this is a little weird for you, but you know you've got Nnoi and me to help you out," Starrk said with a concerned look on his face.

"I'm _fine_, Starrk! I'm not 15 anymore! I don't need ya telling—"

"_Grimmjow_," the brunette snapped over him. The younger of the two quickly stopped talking. "I'm just saying...You don't need to go through this alone."

"...Whatever," the blunette mumbled and averted his gaze. Starrk just smiled and shook his head before walking over to him.

"We love you, oto-chan," he said and ruffled his hair a bit. Grimmjow swatted his hand away and rubbed his head.

_Weird...he hasn't called me that since we were little_...The blunette thought. With a sigh, he walked back into the living room with everyone else. He decided that the next time he saw Ichigo, he'd tell him how he felt, too.

* * *

**NOOOOOO! I CAME UP WITH A NEW IDEA**

**It's a ShiroIchi one and I really like it...but I don't want to have anything else on my plate just yet...but I really want to do it! I'll figure it out later...**

**Anyway, how did you guys enjoy the last chapter? I know that not much happened in this chapter and it was more of a filler, but there is more to come in this story so hang in there!**

**R&R, please!**

**_~EMAE_**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Alright! We are back on track! I'm updating on schedule and my summer is going great so far! I still can't do much because I'm technically still in my recovery stage, but honestly I feel fine. So what'll I do?**

**Whatever the fuck I want! :D**

**No really, though. All I've been doing these past two weeks is writing. I'm going to be starting on the story I mentioned in the previous chapter, which I'll publish sometime. I'm just not sure when.**

**I also know that the last chapter was not** **_that_**** fulfilling, but this chapter will pick the story up.**

**The songs I listened to while writing were They Move On Tracks of Never Ending Light(long name I know) by This Will Destroy You and We Must Be Killers by Mikky Ekko. They don't really fit, but I just wanted to let you know.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Shiro sighed as he hung up his phone. He had planned to go snowboarding with Kensei and his other friends, but the trip got cancelled. He and Ichigo had recovered from their colds, so he was really looking forward to the trip. Now he had no way to keep Ichigo to himself. If they weren't going anywhere, then Ichigo would go to work just to do something productive. And he didn't want his Ichigo anywhere near Grimmjow if he didn't have to be.

"So, Ichi?..." Shiro said as he sat on the couch next to him.

"Hm?" Ichigo responded.

"My friends that we were goin ta go snowboardin with cancelled tha trip. So we have nothin ta do fer tha next three days."

"We could...go see a movie?" Ichigo suggested.

"Na. Nothin good is out right now," the albino shook his head.

"We could...cook something?"

"Not hungry."

"We could..." He tapped his chin in thought. "Hang out with my friends!" Ichigo said and his face lit up. "I haven't seem them in ages!"

"Whoa there, Ichi. Do ya remember what happened last time I hung out with yer friends? Apparently, I scared tha ever-livin shit outta that busty chick, and then that red pineapple punched my face in," Shirosaki recalled everything. "I think we'll have ta pass on that." The albino chuckled when Ichigo cutely stuck out his bottom lip in a pout. "But I think I know a better way to pass the time..."

The older smirked before leaning in and pressing his lips to Ichigo's. The latter gave in right away and opened his mouth for Shiro's tongue to play. This is what the past few days had consisted of. Any chance he got, Shiro would take the opportunity to feel Ichigo's soft lips pressed against his. If it were up to him, they would be kissing all day. But at most it was at a few minutes at a time. There were occasionally some surprise soft pecks, but most of the time it was rough and carnal, the two trying to release all their sexual tension through their lips. This was one of those times. The red-head let out a small whimper, earning an aroused growl from Shiro. Ichigo was surprised when the albino pushed him to lay back on the couch then manuvered his hips between the younger's legs.

They reattached their lips and Shiro began to rock his hips to rub their centers together. Ichigo whined and bit Shiro's bottom lip as he placed his arms around the older's neck. The older of the two growled again and kissed him harder. He could feel all of his blood pumping to his nether regions and his newly altered desires fluctuate. There was still a bit of heroine left in his system, so everytime Ichigo's cute little needy noises reached his ears, he got a rush of euphoric pleasure that shot straight to his cock. So as far as he was concerned, his primary goal was to pin Ichigo down and fuck him raw. And he had already pinned him down.

_No_, he corrected his thoughts quickly. _I can't do that. Not to him. I have to treat him special_.

Shiro rewarded another moan by bringing his lips down to rest on the smooth skin of Ichigo's neck. After one kiss, the teen frantically turned his neck for more. Shirosaki smirked before running his warm tongue up the side and licking the rim of Ichigo's ear. Said red-head whimpered and shut his eyes tight. His entire body stiffened up when Shiro sucked and scraped his teeth on the darkening skin. They had never done anything like this before. The furthest Shiro's mouth had explored was just the warm cavern of his own, but now it was all over his jaw and neck and shoulder. It was releasing that sinful pink muscle to do as it pleased along his ear and collarbone. Ichigo's body felt like it had never been alive before now.

_Oh, fuck_, he moaned in thought.

He felt supercharged and horny, and it was all courtesy of the one on top of him. His whole body was burning up and quivering with pleasure, and it was all Shiro's doing. Ichigo could tell that he was about to burst by the tightening feeling in the pit of his stomach. He wanted more. He wanted to see more, he wanted to know more, he wanted to _do_ more. He startled the albino when he grabbed his semi-hard member through his jeans. Shiro's eyes widened when his belt started to be pulled around. Shiro grabbed Ichigo's wrists and held them then broke the kiss.

"Ichi—" He spoke only to be cut off by Ichigo's lips. The red-head slowly unbuckled Shiro's belt and started on his jeans. "Ichi, wait I—" Ichigo continued to ignore him and breathed heavily as his libido skyrocketed making him grind on his roommates thigh. When the button on Shirosaki's jeans popped open, he immediately started to pull them down. "ICHIGO STOP!" The younger teen was confused when Shiro yelled and pushed himself up.

"What?" Ichigo panted confusedly and propped himself up on his elbows.

"I thought ya wanted ta take things slow..." Shiro asked and held his wrists.

"Not really..." He replied with a soft laugh then moved in and kissed on Shiro's neck. The albino pushed him away again.

"Stop, Ichi..."

"Why?" Ichigo whined and pouted.

"Because I don't want to!" Shirosaki shouted. Ichigo's eyebrows shot up at the outburst again. "I want ya Ichi, fuck knows I do, but I don't want it ta be like _this!"_

"Well, what's wrong with _this?"_

"Ya don't know what yer gettin into. Ya don't know what ya want, Ichi."

"So what? I know what I want and I don't care!"

"Ichi, no, ya don't. Trust me ya have no idea. Yer 17 and just thinking with yer dick right now," Shiro said knowingly.

"You're one to talk. You're only a year older than me."

"But I've been through more, trust me," Shiro sighed when Ichigo frowned and crossed his arms. "...Ichi," he started again and placed his hand on the red-heads face, "look, I never had anyone ta tell me ta slow down and enjoy things. I don't want ta be yer first until you're absolutely sure."

"I'm sure," Ichigo said hastily and grinded their crotches together to show him just how sure he really was. Shiro's eyes rolled back and he almost gave in to the throbbing organ that resided just beneath those swiveling hips. But it went against his better judgement to do so.

"Ichi, _listen_. Yer first time shouldn't be like mine. Not a day goes by where I don't regret it. I regret not bein able ta give myself ta someone I _really_ loved."

"But if I do it with you, I won't regret anything. I know it," Ichigo said with a determined expression.

"How do ya know that? What if ya change yer mind, but I won't stop? What if I really didn't care about what ya wanted? What if...What if I...hurt you? And I didn't care?..."

"C'mon, Shiro you—"

"You'd be devastated...terrified of...o-of me..." Shiro's voice became distant and spacey, like he wasn't even talking to Ichigo anymore. He wasn't even looking at him. "Then you'd leave me..."

"Shiro...I'd never—"

"You'd hate me, then you'd leave me..." Ichigo's eyes widened when he saw tears brimming in Shiro's. "Please don't leave me...Ichigo..."

The albino was surprised when the other teen suddenly pressed his head to his chest. He hadn't realized what he'd just said until he was listening to Ichigo's steady heartbeat. The tears spilled onto his cheeks and he closed his eyes. It felt good to be this close to Ichigo again. They'd been this close plenty of times, but not like how it was now. Ichigo was surprised at Shiro's drastic change in emotion. But he realized that what Shiro was telling him...was actually what had happened to _him_. He had no idea that the albino felt that strongly about giving yourself to the right person.

"Shiro, I won't leave you. I'll never leave you unless you ask me to," he spoke softly so to not upset him again. The red-head realized that deep down, Shirosaki was emotionally unstable. And saying the wrong words or talking about the wrong thing could set him off. He didn't want to be responsible for making him feel that way again.

"I don't want ya ta ever be hurt like that, okay?" The albino asked and took Ichigo's face in his hands. "Make sure it's the right person, okay?" Ichigo looked to his face and couldn't help but smile. He nodded slowly and hugged him again.

"Okay, Shiro," he replied. Said teen pulled his face to kiss him again.

"S-Sorry about gettin all weird..." The recovering teen said after a bit of silence had passed.

"No. If you hadn't told me how you felt, I probably would've done something stupid. Thank you."

There were words lingering on the tip of Shiro's tongue, but he decided not to say them. Saying it again would've probably result in him admitting that Ichigo and him were in a relationship. And if he did that, then he'd be dragging Ichigo into his clusterfuck of trouble. And if keeping Ichigo out meant that had to deny any romantic relationship with him, then as far as anyone on the outside was concerned, they were just fuck buddies. He felt like a heartless bastard thinking of this, but he had good intentions. He wanted to keep Ichigo safe, so he'd do what he'd have to.

* * *

_Liar_

_(Liar)_

_If we're keeping score_

_We're all choir boys at best_

_(Intrusive and arrogant)_

_Liar_

_(Liar)_

_If we're keeping score_

_We're all choir boys at best_

_(Intrusive and arrogant)_

_Liar_

_(Liar)_

_Liar_

_(Liar)_

_It takes one to know one!_

When Grimmjow stopped singing, Nnoitora and Starrk finished off the song with a few more strums and Ulquiorra on the drums. They cheered(with the exception of Ulquiorra) and Nnoitora placed a hand on the panting man's shoulder. Grimmjow sat on the couch and held his lung as he caught his breath. Over the past few days, Grimmjow's voice and condition had improved exceptionally. He had been singing with Nnoitora constantly to try and strengthen his vocal cords, and he had almost gotten through every song without having to take a break. And the man was extremely excited because the Platinum Palooza was just around the corner. And he'd be more than ready.

He'd be ready to show the world that the accident had not deleted The Espadas off of the charts. He was ready to prove to himself and Aizen that he could overcome this thing. He didn't need Luppi to replace them because they were about to make him so much money, his bank account would burst. That little cocksucker Luppi would be back at the bottom groveling at his feet for forgiveness. That was the thing he was motivated to the most. He'd be up and singing and healthy. No more medicine, no more evil demonic machines, no more unnecessary exercise, no more...Ichigo.

_Oh...right_, Grimmjow thought.

He'd totally forgot about that kid. He'd been sick for a few days so Grimmjow busied himself with his music. And he'd gotten so excited and wrapped up in it, that he'd forgotten about his caretaker. Especially the detail of falling for said caretaker. The blunette wouldn't need him anymore. Which meant he probably wouldn't see him again once they started traveling. Things were moving fast, and if Grimmjow wanted things to go his way, then he'd have to move faster. So that was that. He decided that the next time he saw Ichigo, he'd tell him exactly how he felt. He was bold and confident, so he wasn't afraid to get turned down. He'd never gotten turned down before anyway, so he wasn't all that worried. Of course that was just his ego talking. He heard the doorbell and slowly got off of the couch he was resting on.

"Ichigo!" He heard the door open then Nelliel say excitedly.

The blunette tensed up. He wasn't expecting things to happen _this_ fast. He knew he'd tell the kid how he felt, but he didn't know he'd have to do it this soon. After getting up, he made his way up the stairs from the basement and headed to the living room. He saw the red-head sitting patiently on the couch then turn to look at him. Ichigo's face broke into a smile that made his heart skip a beat. _Damn_, that was cute as _fuck_.

"Hi, Grimmjow," he said and stood up.

"Hey, Berry," Grimmjow said and smirked when the teen scowled.

"You're never gonna stop callin me that, are you?"

"Nah. Not anytime soon." His reply was a roll of the eyes before he walked over to him.

"Well, anyway, I'm ready to get back to work. I want to check your breathing and how your injuries are doing. That okay?" Ichigo asked and tilted his head. _Damn_, that was cute as _fuck_.

"Y-Yeah, sure," Grimmjow replied then headed towards the steps. He jumped when Ichigo wrapped an arm around his midsection. It sent a tingling chill up his spine and he shuddered a little bit. He hastily pulled away from him then held onto the rail. "What are ya doin?"

"I-I was gonna help you up the stairs, but..."

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it." The blunette shook his head and continued to walk up the stairs.

"You're doing better, I see," Ichigo said as they entered Grimmjow's room.

"Yeah, I've been singin lately, too."

"That's good," the teen replied genuinely with a smile then walked over to the bag he'd brought.

That made Grimmjow swallow the dryness in his throat as he sat down. _Damn_, that _fucking_ smile was cute. Why did it affect him so much? What happened to all that confidence he had just minutes ago? Why had admitting his affections for Ichigo to himself make him quake in his shoes. Why did it make him feel like his heart was being squeezed till nearly bursting? He wished he knew.

"Can you take off your shirt?" Ichigo asked him.

"Why?"

"I need to hear your breathing," he raised an eyebrow and held up a stethoscope. "What's got you acting so weird, Grimmjow?"

"I-I'm not...I'm probably just tired from singin," the man said then complied. "Ah! That's fuckin cold!" He shouted when the chilled metal made contact with his back.

"Oh, stop being a baby. Take a deep breath," Ichigo rolled his eyes and commanded. The older man inhaled then exhaled deeply. "Again." Grimmjow repeated his actions. "Hm...I can't really tell. Maybe if you sang I could hear better?" Ichigo suggested. Grimmjow nodded then took a deep breath again.

_Remember me, remember me when you are down  
Float me on air and lift me up from off the ground  
Oh baby, I feel lazy  
So lie here in my arms tonight  
Would you deny, a poor mans cry, a poor mans cry?  
Just when I'm finding it hard to breathe you lift the weight inside of me  
Oh baby I see the light that's burning bright and we're the stars  
Oh Annie, you save me from the world  
Oh Annie, you save me from the world_

Grimmjow stopped singing when a fit of coughs interrupted him. Ichigo patted his back as he caught his breath.

"Hm," Ichigo uttered and wrapped up the stethoscope.

"What?" Grimmjow asked curious at the sound.

"It's nothing."

"It ain't nothin. How am I? Will I be okay?"

"Yeah, you'll be fine."

"Then what's the problem?" The blunette asked getting irritated at not receiving an answer.

"You just have a nice voice, that's all. I like it," the teen uttered with a smile.

Jesus H. Christ. Why was this kid so _fucking_ _cute_?

It was starting to piss Grimmjow off. Why all of a sudden did he react so differently if the kid so much as smiled? And when he put his hands on him, Grimmjow nearly melted into a pile of goo. He was fed up already. It was time to tell Ichigo his true feelings.

"Hey—" they both said at the same time. "No, you first." The two laughed a bit before Grimmjow spoke up.

"You first."

"Ok. You know how you told me that you thought Shiro liked me? Well, you were right. I asked him and he said it was true. He asked me to be with him, and I said yes," Ichigo blurted out with a goofy and spacey smile on his face.

Grimmjow swore he could feel something snap inside of him. Whatever did, released a fluid of jealousy and rage that rapidly spread throughout his entire body. What the fuck happened? Didn't Ichigo _just_ confess his feelings for him not days ago? Something was wrong and Grimmjow didn't like it. He was supposed to get what he wanted. He was supposed to have Ichigo. What the _actual_ fuck?

"Get out..." He lowered his head and mumbled quietly.

"What did you say?" Ichigo asked not knowing what he said.

"Get. The _fuck_. OUT! Get out!" He shouted and startled him.

"Grimmjow, what—"

"I said get OUT! Fuck. _You!_ I don't fuckin need ya anymore so there's no reason fer ya ta be here! Yer fired! Now get out of my fuckin house!"

"...Fine..." Ichigo said with an icy glare then quickly stood up and stepped out. Ichigo was confused and angry too as he walked towards the front door.

"You leaving, Ichigo?" Starrk asked.

"But why? You just got here!" Nelliel asked sadly.

"Why don't you ask your crazy fucking brother? I'm out of here," Ichigo said angrily and stormed out. The two glanced at each other in confusion then heard something shatter upstairs.

Ichigo wasn't in the mood to call Shiro to come get him, so he just headed to the bus stop. He needed sometime to cool off from whatever the fuck just happened. Why did Grimmjow snap at him like that? What made him so pissed? Whatever, it didn't matter now. The older man clearly didn't need him anymore, he made sure to make that apparent. And right now, Ichigo didn't care. He didn't need him anymore? That was fine with him. Ichigo didn't need his stupid money. He was set as far as he was concerned. At least now he could focus on school instead of caring for that fucking idiot. To him, he'd just let a weight off of his shoulders.

_Fucking asshole_, he thought angrily as he stood when the bus came.

* * *

**Aw. Another ShiroIchi moment. Oh, and don't worry, they won't all be like that. Grimmjow is such a brat! I guess whatever chance he had with Ichigo is gone now!**

**Or is it?... XD**

**I've noticed that I've kinda turned Shiro in a lovesick puppy dog. Gotta fix that. XD And don't be fooled! Sorry if you've been decieved, but Shiro and Ichigo will not be ending up together! :( Don't hate me!**

**The two songs that Grimmjow sung in this chapter were Liar (It Takes One To Know One) by Taking Back Sunday and Annie You Save Me by Graffiti6. :3**

**Well anyway, thanks for reading this chapter! We're at 15 with 126 reviews! Holy cow, this story has grown! I can't wait to write more for it!**

**R&R, please!**

**_~EMAE_**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Sorry for the late update! I had a lot of family events over the weekend.**

**Anyway, one of my reviewers really changed my view on the whole story.**

**Yeah, Shirosaki has become a bit soft for, well, Shirosaki. I didn't want to make him completely hardcore, and this ****_is_**** an AU story. So yeah, I did add a bit of a soft side to him and I got a little carried away...but what can I say? I can be a hopeless romantic sometimes. XD If any of you feel the same way, feel free to let me know! I would love to know and be able to take into account your opinions!**

**And for you GrimmIchi lovers, fear not! I can't exactly give you the specific details, but this isn't the end of our favorite Berry and Grimmkitty!**

**Thank you for sticking with me!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Starrk and Nelliel weren't really surprised when they went upstairs and saw Grimmjow trashing his room. They didn't know what it was about, and right now, neither of them wanted to find out. The blunette didn't seem to notice them standing at his door so they walked away. Nelliel went to handle the preparations for the Palooza and Starrk just went back downstairs to sleep. Whatever it was Grimmjow was upset about, he'd check on it after a nap. Soon after he fell asleep, Ggio came home from a friends house and heard the commotion. He walked upstairs and headed towards Grimmjow's room. When he saw his brother throwing things and cursing, he was worried. Ggio knew he had a short fuse, but he didn't know it would result in this after the fuse burned out.

"Grimm, what the hell are you doing?" He asked earning a glare form his older sibling.

"Get the hell out," Grimmjow snarled a reply.

"Uh, not until you explain the mess you made. If this is another prank to see how far the cleaning ladies will go, then it's looking pretty sweet," the teen smirked. "But something tells me that's not it so—" Ggio was surprised when he got cut off with a punch from Grimmjow.

"I said get out!"

"Grimmjow, what the fuck is wrong with you?!" He launched at his brother and the two began an all out brawl. The noise reached downstairs to an irritated Starrk who just wanted to get some sleep.

_What is it now?_ The brunette asked himself.

Reluctantly, he lazily walked up the stairs to see what all the yelling was about. He didn't even blink an eye when he saw his two brothers wrestling on the floor. It wasn't the first time they had fought, but it'd sure been a few years since they had. With a yawn, Starrk grabbed the collar of Ggio's shirt and pulled him of of Grimmjow.

"Ggio, go to your room. I need to talk to Grimm," he said in a no-nonsense tone. The youngest brother stood up and walked out while rubbing his cheek where Grimmjow had hit him. Starrk sighed before speaking, "Grimmjow, whatever it is you're mad about, it doesn't give you the right to punch our little brother."

"Whatever! I told him ta get out and he didn't. Serves tha little bastard right..." He mumbled back.

"Okay, now I _know_ something's wrong. You're never hostile towards us. What's going on? And why was Ichigo pissed off too?" Grimmjow didn't say anything and looked to the littered floor. "Oh my god, did you tell him?" Starrk covered his eyes and sighed. He didn't need an answer to know that. "And by the look on you face, he didn't respond very well?" Grimmjow nodded but was confused when his brother started laughing, which was really out of character for him. "Was that it Grimmjow? You're such a brat!" The brunette said and laughed even harder.

"I don't see what's so fuckin funny!"

"You've never been rejected before have you?" Starrk calmed down and said before laughing again.

"I didn't get rejected! I didn't even get ta tell him!"

"Then why are you so mad?"

"He told me he was with his bestfriend!"

"Wait, didn't you _tell_ him to do that?" The brunette laughed even harder and leaned against the wall next to him.

"Starrk! This isn't funny!" Grimmjow shouted at him. Starrk opened his eyes and calmed down when he saw the defeated look on the blunette's face. He walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Grimm, in all honesty, you're a grown man. You'll get over it. Now I want you to call Ichigo and apologize to him."

"Can't do that."

"And why not?"

"Cause I fired him."

"..." There was a bit of silence between the two as Starrk took in what he just said. "You _what?"_

"I fired him. So I'm not gonna embarrass myself by callin him back," Grimmjow said and crossed his arms.

"Grimmjow! Do you realize how serious this is? Ichigo is the only one who knows how to to take care of you! And you're not fully recovered!" The brunette pressed his eyes and shook his head. "The Palooza is right around the corner, and if something happens to you, we won't be able to just fix it!"

"Starrk, I'll be fine! I can sing, I can walk, and I can do both without difficulty. If somethin _does_ go wrong, I'll handle it. Now will ya please calm down?" Grimmjow rolled his eyes at his overly-concerned brother. The older man sighed and shook his head again.

"Okay, Grimmjow. Fine. But remember, if you fuck up, it's not just your head." Grimmjow nodded. "Okay, come out of here and apologize to Ggio. Plus the cleaning ladies are on the way." After taking a glance at his work, he followed his brother out.

* * *

Shirosaki stared at the wad of cash he'd been collecting over the last week or so. He'd sold all the drugs in the bag and had the last bit at some ungodly hour this morning. Yeah, he felt guilty. But right now, he just wanted to rest. By the time he managed to lay down, he noticed that the sun was slowly on it's way into the sky. Now the only sensible thing to do would be to cook something to eat. After he cooked, he made plates for himself and Ichigo then went to wake the teen.

"Ichi, breakfast is ready if ya want it," Shirosaki said and gently shook his roommate.

The albino was in a much calmer state since he'd got up and done his drugs so Ichigo wouldn't know. Ichigo groaned and tossed in his bed before sitting up. He put his houseshoes on then shuffled down the hall to the kitchen. There were riceballs and eggs along with a slice of ham on a plate. He took it then headed to sit next to Shiro on the couch. He slowly tucked in to his plate of food since he was so tired. A few days had gone by since Grimmjow fired him and he'd been up every night talking it out with Shiro. He was pretty sure the older teen didn't want to stay up talking like school girls, but he was grateful that he listened. Also, when they were done talking, they did..._other_ things. That reminded Ichigo of the previous night and a heavy blush came to his face. Shirosaki seemed to notice it and snickered softly a bit. The red-head heard him and socked his arm.

"Ow! Why?" He whined through his laughter and rubbed the spot.

"Shut up! It's not that funny!" Ichigo shouted and blushed deeper.

"It's hilarious, that's why I'm laughin!" Shiro smirked when Ichigo glared at him. "Oh, come on, Ichi! Don't be so mad! It happens ta lots of guys yer age..."

He tried to finished the ending without laughing but he just couldn't contain himself. Ichigo groaned and covered his face from the embarrassment. Last night while they were 'enjoying each others company,' things got pretty hot again. Shiro's mouth was all over his body again and was placing love bites on his chest and abdomen. But as soon as the older teen grabbed a _very_ inexperienced member, the red-head had no control over the instantaneous mess that shot into his hand. He had no intention of doing it, in fact, it came as quite a surprise. (Pun intended.) One minute they were fine and content kissing, then Shiro's hands wandered into his trousers and he became a panting and moaning mess.

As he looked at his hand and chest, the albino kept laughing and commenting on how cute and virginal it was, but that only made Ichigo feel humiliation like he'd never felt it before. Shirosaki leaned over and kissed him quickly on the lips and took their dishes to wash them. Ichigo lifted his head when he heard his phone buzz and got up to go get it. He smiled when he read the text message that was on his screen. After he finished, he walked back into the kitchen and stood next to Shirosaki.

"Hm?" The albino grunted knowing the red-head had something to ask him.

"Um, my friends wanna hang out today. Do you...wanna come along?" Ichigo asked shyly. Shiro stopped scrubbing the pan he was working on then looked to Ichigo with his eyebrows raised.

_"Really?"_ Shiro asked monotonously.

"Oh, c'mon Shiro! I think that maybe you just got off on the wrong foot with them. You'll like them if you give them a chance!" He pleaded and smiled at him. Shiro rolled his eyes then dried his hands on the towel from his shoulder. Ichigo could get him to do anything with those big brown eyes.

"Fine," he mumbled then threw the towel down. "But I don't gotta be nice if I don't like 'em."

"'Course not," Ichigo said with a sly grin.

The older teen sighed then walked to his room to get dressed. He noticed the screen on his phone was lit so he picked it up. He had two missed calls and two voicemails. When he opened one, he immediately froze up at the voice.

_"Shiro-kun~"_ Ginjou's ominous tone rang from the phone. _"You should have my money by now, Shiro-kun. I'll be sending Tsukishima over to pick it up. Though I won't tell you when!"_ He laughed heartily before the message cut off. Man, he was a sick bastard. The teen gulped before opening the other one.

_"Shiro, I'll be over there at 9. Sharp. _Please _be home. You know how he is. This is important. Bye,"_ Tsukishima's cold voice warned.

Shiro contemplated whether or not he should go out at all today. He'd have to send Ichigo out for sure, but he didn't want to leave him alone, for fear of Ginjou finding him. No doubt the psycho had his place being watched, so he probably knew what Ichigo looked like. It may not have seemed like it, but Shiro was scared shitless of Ginjou. Tsukishima had never been as hostile, but rhat man had single-handedly made sure his life was a living hell for the past two years. There was no limit to his power or connections, so Shirosaki knew he'd catch up with him eventually. It just sucked major ass that the man had come right when his life was gaining some light.

"Shiro! You ready yet?" Ichigo shouted down the hall.

"U-Uh, yeah! Hang on!" The albino shouted before tossing his phone and proceeding to get dressed.

He slipped on a simple white wife-beater and his black jeans. After running his fingers through his hair a few times, he decided he looked fine. He met Ichigo in the living room then the two headed out to his Challenger.

"Renji said it should be around here somewhere," Ichigo mumbled as they neared their destination. "There it is!" He exclaimed and pointed.

"We're meetin 'em at _Olive Garden?"_ Shiro asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I guess so. Why? What's wrong with that?"

"Nothin. It's just...I'm a little under dressed, don't ya think? If I had known we were goin here, I woulda worn somethin nicer."

"You didn't bring a jacket or anything? It's cold as hell!" The red-head scolded him.

"Well, I think I got an extra shirt in tha trunk," the older teen thought while scratching his head.

"_Well_, go put it on." Shiro shook his head and parked the car then got out. After searching through his trunk, he pulled out a white v-neck.

"Whoa, haven't seen this in a while. Do I even still fit it? Let's see..." The albino smirked at how flustered Ichigo got when he took off his wife-beater.

"Sh-Shiro! We're in the middle of a parking lot!" Ichigo exclaimed to the half naked albino.

"So? Jeez, Ichi. Yer actin so stiff today."

"Am not!" The teen said as Shirosaki pulled the shirt on. It was incredibly tight, showing off his biceps exceptionally. Also Shiro's hair got slicked back because of the force of the shirt. He couldn't stop laughing.

"What?" Shiro asked confused.

"You look like a greaser!" Ichigo pointed at him and bent over in laughter.

"Oh, c'mon," the albino rolled his eyes and ruffled his hair back to the way it was.

When they got inside, it was a real hassle to find Ichigo's friends. The restaurant was packed since it was the holidays and Shirosaki was growing quite impatient. He insisted that they just scram and head back home, but Ichigo was determined to see his buddies after such a long few weeks. When they finally did find the table, it was awkward as hell. Everyone was staring at Shiro and Orihime hid from him behind Uryu. He smiled awkwardly, trying to ease the mood around everyone. Though it didn't quite work.

"Why is _he_ here?" Rukia asked. "Ichigo, you know how Orihime feels about him."

"Uh, hey, Shorty? I'm right here."

"I don't care," Rukia said without looking away from Ichigo. "Why?"

"Well, he's my...me and him are..." Ichigo struggled to find the courage to tell his friends.

"I'm his friend, too, is what he meant ta say. Look, I mean ya no harm. Whatever happened in tha past, why can't we just forget about it? I'm not gonna hurt anybody," Shiro defended himself.

"I don't want him here if it bothers Inoue," Uryu said and grabbed Orihime's hand making the girl blush.

"I think we should give him a chance," Chad said surprising everyone. "He seems like a good guy."

"_Everyone_ seems like a good guy to you, Chad," Renji sighed. "Look, he can stay. We can't really stop him so we might as well try to get along with him."

He stuck out his hand in order to shake Shiro's. The albino decided to partake in the friendly gesture and shook his outstretched hand. After they all ate a little dinner, the group headed out to go bowling. At first it was difficult for Ichigo's friends to adjust to Shiro's loud and rowdy persona, but eventually he came to be entertaining. He and Renji were a lot alike and got along better than anyone expected. They even made their own team for bowling. Shiro couldn't remember the last time he'd had a good time like this. He'd never really had any other friends than Ichigo until he'd met Shinji and Kensei. And when those two split, it took them a minute to get over it. So Shiro was back to being alone. Well, not _totally_ alone. He always had Tsukishima to keep him company. The man took excellent care of him and took him anywhere he wanted to go. He was like that awesome big brother that everybody wanted.

But the twist was that Shiro was in love with him.

_Wait, what?_

Shiro was distracted by the thought and sent his ball straight into the gutter. Renji groaned out loud and shook Shirosaki's shoulders.

"Hello? Wake up in there!" The teen shouted then went about stomping around angrily.

"Sorry," the albino said with a chuckle.

Thinking back to his previous thoughts, he decided to ignore them. When the game was over, Renji and Shirosaki emerged the victors. After that they all decided to go see a movie. Shiro couldn't believe he was out doing all these activities. With _friends_. He actually had _friends_. It wasn't that big of a deal but still it surprised him. He never even did this kind of stuff with Kensei. The most they'd do was party-crash or host one themselves. That was nice and all, but Ichigo's invited him in like they were a family. Yeah, it was totally sappy and sweet, but it made Shiro feel warm inside.

_It's nice being out like this_, he though with a smile.

During the movie, he proceeded to mess around with Ichigo. The red-head protested at first, but after a little more persuading, he wasn't really interested in the movie anymore. The only thing he was worried about was Shiro's pale hands and lips pressed to his neck and the soft words being spoken in his ear. He knew that they should've stopped, but the thrill of being caught made it all the more enticing. Ichigo found himself almost whining when Shiro pulled away to look at his phone. The albino seemed to be reading a funny text from Kensei before his eyes widened.

"Shiro, you okay?" Ichigo whispered worriedly.

"Uh...I gotta go. Can someone give ya a ride?"

"Yeah, but why—"

"It's an emergency, Ichi. Sorry, but I gotta go," the albino said with an apologetic look on his face.

"But Shiro..." He couldn't finish his question before his roommate disappeared.

He bolted out of the theater leaving the red-head alone in the back row. Ichigo figured he should be mad, but he was just concerned. What was so important that he had to veer out of the theater like that? No possibilities came to him, so he was just confused. What could the emergency be? He was left at a loss for words. Why did he not know what was going on with Shiro?

_What the hell?_ Was all he could think as he joined his friends further down.

"Where's Shirosaki?" Uryu quietly asked him. Ichigo just shrugged and took a seat next to him, plagued by thoughts questioning Shiro's whereabouts.

* * *

**So I feel like this wasn't one of my better chapters, but whatever. The story can only get better for me. It's like, as I write it, I can't believe that I did this.**

**I have fallen for this story! :D**

**But as always, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Tell me what you think! The next update will be next Saturday since this week I'm going to an ANIME CONVENTION! I'M SO EXCITED! :D**

**R&R, please!**

_**~EMAE**_


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: AX. Was. So. FUN! I love anime expos so much! There are so many people to meet and things to do and buy! I almost had a fucking ****_heart attack_**** when I saw Johnny Yong Bosch(voice of Ichigo)! I almost couldn't contain myself...**

**Anyway, I am back early because I am going out of town for a while! In a place with no wifi... *tear* But this chapter was kind of inspired by one of my favorite stories. I hope you guys like it!**

**And people are still submitting ideas and I have to say, you guys are really good. If I do put in your ideas, I'll be sure to mention your names, you awesome people!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_Shit, shit shit shit._

Shirosaki nervously pulled up in the driveway and ran up to the door. He pulled out his keys and hastily tried to get the lock to stop fucking around so he could get inside. It was 8:50 when he got Kensei's text. He had _ten_ minutes to haul-ass back home and meet up with Tsukishima. Yeah, he felt bad for ditching Ichigo like that, but he'd feel even worse if something happened to him if he didn't get that money delivered. It was 9:05 when he got to the apartment they shared, but Tsukishima's car was nowhere to be found. But as far as Shiro knew, that man was probably in his house right now. When he got his door open, the house was completely dark. And what was worse, he couldn't remember if they had left it that way or not. He locked the door then carefully toed around, feeling like a complete dumb-ass for creeping in his own house. He grabbed the money just in case and continued on his search. After scoping out the entire place, he found no trace of anyone but himself.

_Maybe...I missed him? Or he just didn't come_, Shiro thought as he stood in his empty house.

After tapping his foot in thought, the albino sighed. He'd been panicking for nothing. He'd left Ichigo alone for no reason. Tsukishima wasn't even going to show up after all.

_"Great_,_"_ he spoke to no one and scratched at the healed needle marks on his arm.

They hadn't itched much lately, save for when he was irritated. Like now. Everything had kind of gone to shit today and he still had an unnoticeable high from the heroin he'd taken that morning. Maybe he'd just cook Ichigo something as an apology. They had eaten already, but Shiro knew for sure that the red-head would clear some space for _his_ cooking. He headed to the kitchen and set out a few things to start on his meal. After turning on a bit of music, he washed up and put on an apron and tied his hair up. He nodded his head and pulled a knife out of the drawer. He began quickly chopping up green onions and boiling water. Shirosaki stopped his movements when he thought he heard the door open. Assuming it was just the music, he shrugged it off and continued humming while chopping furiously. Shiro checked the time and assumed that the movie should've been over by now. His phone beeped when he got a text from Ichigo.

_Movies over._

There wasn't a smiley or anything else to that message, so he knew Ichigo must've been mad at him.

_K. I'm making dinner 4 u. I'm rly sry. :(_

_It's fine._

The albino sighed. Ichigo must've been upset. After sighing for the umpteenth time, he was even more determined to make it up to the red-head. About 15 more minutes had passed, and Shiro almost jumped out of his skin when hands covered his eyes.

"_Holy shit_, Ichi. Ya scared me half ta death! I didn't even hear ya unlock tha door. I woulda cut my hand off," he chuckled nervously. When his roommate didn't respond, he was confused. "Ichi?"

"Sorry I'm late," a voice much too deep and calm to be Ichigo's said softly in his ear. When the hands lowered, they showed Shirosaki's widened and trembling eyes. The teen tensed up and held his breath.

_H-How...How'd he get in?_ He thought startled.

"..." There was a bit of silence as Shiro thought of how vulnerable he felt. "I-I have tha money."

"Good. 'Cause we gotta go," Tsukishima informed and backed away from him.

"G-Go? Go where?" The albino asked and turned around.

"Ginjou wants to see you. Says he's got something to talk to you about."

"_He_ wants ta see me? Na-Uh, no way, I did my part! I sold tha drugs like he asked and I have tha money!" Shirosaki shouted angrily and shook his head. "After this I want nothin ta do with either of ya! I'm gonna cut this addiction crap and I want you two ta stay tha hell away from me! Got that?" He said firmly and assured. Tsukishima picked at his nails then sighed.

"You done yet? Ginjou is waiting and I really wanna go home," the man rolled his eyes and asked.

"I'm not going with ya, Tsukishima. I said I'm done, why can't ya understand that? Get tha fuck outta my house," Shiro snapped angrily. When Tsukishima rose his eyebrow at him, it only made him more pissed. He growled then reached behind him and gripped the knife he'd had before tightly. "I'm serious! Leave now!" He shouted and pointed it at him.

"...Shiro, you and I both know you don't have the guts to do what you're thinking—" The older man began to explain but was stopped when the albino rushed at him with the knife.

He expertly grabbed the teen's wrist as his cheek was barely sliced and pulled him forward to get him off balance. Shirosaki was surprised when his face slammed into Tsukishima's hard chest. A few drops of blood dripped onto his face from the small cut on the brunette's cheek. As he looked down on him, there was a glare like Shiro had never seem on his face before. The albino's eyes widened when he was quickly spun around and his free arm pulled behind him, Tsukishima using his superior strength to wrap an arm around his body and hold him close to his. Shiro's hand that held the knife was slowly lifted up to his neck and he shut his eyes with a whimper. He tried to squirm away, but the taller man tightened his hold with an angry grunt and pressed the blade a bit.

"Tsukishima, please..." He pleaded but the man just snatched the scarf off Shiro's head and tore the apron from his body. He grabbed one of Shiro's discarded jackets then pulled him outside by his shirt. "Let go of me!"

"Get in the car," Tsukishima said then opened the door.

"No!" Even after protesting, the albino was just pushed into the black Porsche anyway. The brunette started up the car then sped off. "Where are ya takin me?"

"I told you, to see Ginjou."

"Tch. When did you become the devil's right hand man, Tsukishima," Shiro said it more as a statement than a question, though he still expected an answer. The driving man glanced between the road and the albino's angered face. He gripped the steering wheel in anger, because, in fact, he didn't have an answer.

"Just sit back and stay quiet," Tsukishima commanded, deciding he'd thoroughly think one over.

* * *

Shirosaki was surprised when they arrived in a shady part of town. The dirt and grime on the street was visible. Homeless drunkards staggered about with bottles covered by bags. Hardcore drug addicts stayed in their hideaway alleys, shivering and shaking until their next hit came along. The teen hoped that as soon as his business tonight with these two was done, he'd be able to get clean. The last thing he wanted to do was end up like those poor, unfortunate souls. He'd been around this neck of the woods before, with none other than Ginjou and Tsukishima, but he hardly expected to _ever_ come back. The brunette parked the car then tossed Shiro's jacket to him. The teen pulled it on before Tsukishima hoped out and ran over to his side, opening the door and dragging him again. Shiro grunted angrily and grabbed the man's wrist, still trying to struggle like a child even though he fully knew it was futile. He was tugged across the street and down the sidewalk towards a building that was more than shameless in it's indecency. The neon light barely flickered, but Shiro could read _'Adult Cinema'_ and the albino couldn't help but feel embarrassed. Was _that_ their destination? As he was pulled closer, the immaturity in him stirred and his cheeks flushed.

"_Please_ don't tell me we're goin in _there,"_ he stated nervously.

"Why're you blushing?" Tsukishima asked as he looked around the street, keeping a sharp eye while implying that Shirosaki should be familiar with the material shown in those films.

"W-Well, I—"

"Look," they stopped just outside of the building when he released Shiro's shirt and spoke, "just don't say anything. If anyone talks to you, don't talk back," Tsukishima commamded then grabbed the teen's wrist and lead him inside. He headed straight for the theater without so much as glancing at the ticket counter.

"H-Hey!" The attendant shouted. "You can't go..." His voice trailed off when Tsukishima gave him a sharp glare before pulling Shiro on into the sole screening room. He opened the door and pushed the teen inside, closing the door after him. Shirosaki glanced around the small, dim room, noticing there were only a few people, before his eyes settling on the big screen.

**_"...a proposition for you,"_** the man in the film said and proceeded to move closer to a woman standing across from him. **_"A..._****promotion****_...of sorts."_** A lecherous grin grew on his face.

_**"Oh, no, Saotomi-san! I couldn't possibly take another promotion. You've already done so much for me!"**_ She said obliviously and bowed respectively. The woman let out the fakest gasp when 'Saotomi-san' grabbed her ass in the tight skirt she was wearing.

**_"But I'd like to do _****so****_ much more, Rin-chan."_**

Shiro raised an eyebrow when music started to play as he kissed her. His attention was diverted to a man sitting ahead of them. He couldn't tell because of the dim light, but he was positive that it was Ginjou. There was another person standing in the isle ahead of them next to Ginjou. Their head was hung low as he talked to them, they nodded then handed him something. Ginjou exchanged it with something else that looked like a small bag. Shiro assumed it was drugs and frowned. The person nodded before swiftly walking towards the exit. The albino caught a glimpse of their face and ripped away from Tsukishima to follow them. When he reached the light of the lobby, he grabbed the stranger, who frantically turned around. Hoping he was very wrong, Shiro said a name.

"Shinji?"

"Sh-Shirosaki..." Shinji replied in a hoarse voice.

Shiro couldn't believe his eyes. The blond looked so different. The last time he'd seen him was when he and Kensei were still dating, but he looked _much_ different now. He'd cut short his long hair, his clothes were disheveled, his skin was deathly pale, his cheeks were sunken in a bit and it looked like he hadn't eaten in days...What the hell had happened to him? Just seeing his entire form was enough to make Shiro almost cry. He swore he could feel his stomach heaving and getting ready to throw up out of pure sadness and shock. To Shinji's chest, he held the tiny bag, as if his soul rested in it.

"Shinji...what tha—" The teen started.

"Shiro, how's Kensei?" The blond asked. Honestly, the albino was more concerned for Shinji's well being than Kensei's. "Is he good? How's he doing?" The questions were rushed and frantic, as if his life depended on the answers.

"He's...fine, but—"

"Is...Is he dating again?" This question came softer and more sincere. "Is he happy?"

Shiro thought about it. Kensei was really messed up over the blond when he'd left him. Had he really been happy all this time? Yeah, Shuuhei was great, and even Shiro loved him, but had he filled Kensei's void? Shiro guessed he'd learned to love again because he'd never seen Kensei so fired up about anyone besides Shinji. So yeah, Shuuhei made him happy.

"Y-Yeah...He's happy," Shiro answered as truthfully as he could.

"That's good," Shinji smiled and nodded and it seemed genuine. Shiro figured that people always get kinder once they've gone through shit.

"Shinji...why aren't ya stayin with Ginjou? He's yer friend, right?"

"Na, actually the only reason I was at his place was 'cause I was buyin pot," he chuckled and scratched the back of his head embarrassed. "But now I'm on to...other things..." He trailed off at the end and rubbed his arm.

"Shinji..."

"So what are you here for? Heh, I always knew you were a pervert, Shiro," Shinji teased and poked him with a smirk.

"That ain't it!" The teen blushed and defended himself and continued. "I'm actually here ta...meet someone," Shiro mumbled the last part, the lie in his voice fleeting.

"Ginjou, right?" Shinji asked knowingly then grabbed Shiro's wrist. He pulled up the sleeve of his jacket and could faintly see the needle marks on the inside of his arm. "Shiro, listen when I tell you this, don't go down this path," he lowered his voice so that only Shiro could hear him.

"Shinji, I don't have a choice. I—"

"Yes, you do. Just promise me, you'll get out of this if you get the chance. If you see a window, you'll take it."

"I...promise...But if I get out of this, and I see ya, ya have ta take my help, got that?" Shiro asked seriously.

"Got it. Seeya 'round, kid," he said before quickly walking out of the theater.

Shirosaki sadly watched him go but was surprised when he was pulled back into the room. Tsukishima led him down the isle once more and they stopped next to Ginjou. The man looked up and smirked when they made eye contact.

"Shiro-kun~," the man purred at seeing his self-proclaimed toy. "Nice to see ya again. Sit down," he said then patted the other cushion on the loveseat he was on. Shiro reluctantly sat down and tried to shift as far away as possible from the psychotic man, but Ginjou just put an arm over his shoulder and pulled him close. "Now," he stopped to light a cigarette and breathed out. "You have the money?"

"Yeah, I got it," the teen almost growled then reached into his pocket.

"Good boy, Shiro-kun! I knew you could do it!" Ginjou said and snatched the money.

"You'll leave me alone now, right? I can go home," the albino started to get up but Ginjou forced him back down.

"Now, you know I would, but there's a little snag you have to deal with, first."

"What?! No way, I—" Shirosaki started but his mouth was covered by the man's large hand.

"Keep it down," he said menacingly. "Wouldn't want to get us kicked out, ne? Anyway, there's a snag. _My_ boss is impressed with how fast you got that money. He wants you to work for him."

"Fuck that." Shiro almost laughed.

"Wait, wait, listen. It's not that bad, Shiro. You get a good pay and all you have to do is not get caught. You're good at that, you hid from us for what, a year and a half? I think you can handle it."

"I said no." The albino was sticking with his decision and was getting a little pissed off that he wasn't being listened to.

"Look, Shiro, it ain't up to you, and it ain't up to me. If it was, I'd let you go," the man shrugged.

"That's a fuckin lie and ya know it."

"Doesn't matter. He wants your work, and you don't have a choice," he took another drag from his cigarette and exhaled gently. "This is also for you," he placed a small bag of heroin in Shiro's hand and looked him in the eyes. "If you go too long without it, real bad nightmares come. Now that's all I had to tell you, but I wanted you here for another reason."

Shiro raised an eyebrow when Ginjou burned out his cigarettes and glanced to Tsukishima, who nodded then looked into the teen's eyes before turning and making an exit. When he was gone, Ginjou gripped the boy's chin then turned it towards him. Shiro was too late to see the look in his eyes before their lips met. Ginjou moaned while Shiro stiffened up. He was not expecting that. He pulled away, but the larger man just pushed the back of his head to connect their lips again.

"Stop, I—" he was cut off again when he tried to tell him he didn't want that.

_No, I'm in a relationship now. Last time was different. I wasn't with Ichigo_, He thought worriedly.

He pushed on the man's shoulders before his legs were pulled and he hit the cushions with a soft 'oof.' Ginjou spread his legs and moved between them and then kissed him harder. He gasped for air when they broke and the stinging kisses moved down his neck. This time it didn't feel good. He wanted it to stop.

"Relax, kid," Ginjou's husky voice breathed into his ear. "What you're little bitch doesn't know won't hurt him." He licked and nipped on the heated skin of the teen's neck as he grinded his hardening crotch between his legs.

"Don't...talk about him like that," Shiro protested and continued to try and push the man off of him.

"Geez, when's the last time you had a hit? You need to loosen up or you won't enjoy this."

"I don't want ta enjoy this! Stop!" The teen shouted and hoped someone would hear him.

"Heh, scream as loud as you want. No one can hear ya," Ginjou proceeded to lift up Shiro's jacket and run his hands over the smooth skin on his chest.

**_"A-Ah! Saotomi-san! Harder!"_** The chick in the film squealed and begged loudly for more as her boss roughly drove into her. Her pleasured screams filled the theater so Shiro knew that he couldn't be heard.

"I can make you scream like that," Shiro heard the man on him say before he lightly pinched his hardening nipple underneath his garments.

He tried to stifle the moan forming in his throat but it came out anyway. With a smirk, the older man moved for Shirosaki's pants. He quickly undid them regardless of the teen's pulls on his hands. He didn't know why Shiro was fighting even though he knew that the man was stronger than him.

"St-Stop..."

"That's not what your body is telling me."

"D-Don't care...Let me go!"

The albino was beginning to panic the longer he was stuck under Ginjou's large build. He really didn't want to have sex with him. Especially not here of all places. And because he was with Ichigo now, he didn't want to do this with any other person. Ginjou pulled his jeans and underwear down to just below his ass in a way that he thought was 'too sexy' before his large hand lightly grazed the boy's half hard member. It felt so fucking good to be touched, but Shiro knew that this was not what he wanted.

"Ginjou...Stop!"

He shouted over and over, hoping _someone_ would eventually hear. Ginjou lifted his hips and rested them on his own before slicking two of his fingers with his own saliva. After pulling the teen's underwear down enough, he roughly shoved the thick digits in one by one, earning a pained gasp from the other.

"Jesus, how do you stay so tight, Shiro-kun?" he asked playfully. Ignoring the sound he got as a response, he moved his hand with more speed trying to loosen the boy up for something much bigger. He felt triumphant when Shiro seemed to be riding his fingers before he heard a pained gasp.

"Oh, God...fuckin _stop_..._please_..." Shiro pleaded.

Ginjou looked up and saw the teen's face. He was breathing shakily into his hand and covering his crotch. The older of the two raised an eyebrow and couldn't understand why the albino didn't want to do it this time. Any other time he'd be begging to be fucked, but now, he seemed anxious to get away from him. His flushed face and hard member contradicted his words, but Ginjou knew he wouldn't enjoy fucking him if he was crying or some shit like that.

"Tch. You really don't want it," he backed up and scratched the back of his head. Shiro shuffled his legs to back away and pulled down his sweatshirt. "Well, this'll be no fun. Eh, you can go. But still, think about what I said." The teen quickly stood up and grabbed his jeans. He was pissed and flustered and just a little bit frightened. But mostly pissed. Why did everyone have such serious boundary problems? He didn't want to be touched, so why the hell was he always being touched? "I'll see you soon, Shiro-kun~," he said with an airy chuckle.

Shiro quickly walked out of the screening room while trying to fasten his pants. Tsukishima was surprised when he busted through the doors and passed him. He caught a small glimpse of the teen's ass as he yanked his jeans up and buttoned them. His head was hung low as he walked down the street and headed to the car. Tsukishima followed close behind, wondering what had him all flustered and angry. Though, he kind of already knew. He opened his mouth to speak to him but the teen just interrupted him.

"Just take me home, please. I want ta go home." Shirosaki requested simply and leaned against the car. Tsukishima unlocked the door and got in along with the albino. He started the car then drove off to Shiro's desired destination.

"Shiro..."

"You knew he wouldn't leave me alone. You knew he would try _that_. And ya let him," the teen mumbled without tearing his eyes from the window.

"I'm sorry," Tsukishima surprised even himself with his response. "Look, Shiro, there's not much I can do about it. I don't have power here."

"That's a lie. You could stop all of this if ya wanted ta." Shiro snapped.

"You know, you're being _really_ irrational and it's _really_ pissing me off. You know damn well that if you ignore Ginjou, you'll get your shit pushed in," the driver said irritatedly. "He doesn't play around and you know that. Yet you still decide to defy him. Why won't you stop being so stupid?"

"I just don't understand why he's keepin me alive!" The albino shouted back. "Apparently, I've crossed him too many times ta count, so why doesn't he get it over with? Why are you guys playin this sick game with me? I know Ginjou's cruel, but you, Tsukishima? I would've never guessed." The older of the two sighed and closed his eyes.

"You just don't get it. This is bigger than me, bigger than Ginjou even. Our _boss_ wants you. It's no longer up to us."

"What are ya talkin about? Ya sound fuckin crazy!" Suddenly the car screeched to a stop and Shiro noticed he was a few blocks from where he and Ichigo lived. "I'm gettin out." He said and opened his door. The taller man quickly joined him in the crisp night air and cornered him in front of his car.

"Shiro, if I could get you out of this, if I could stop it, I wouldn't hesitate. When I met you, the last thing I wanted was for you to get caught up in this. I knew that you'd get totally fucked up if you were exposed."

"Well, it's too fuckin late now, isn't it?" The teen tried to walk around him but stopped when hands slammed down on either side of him.

"This isn't my fault. I never wanted this. Let's just get that straight. I cared—I _still_ care about you, dammit. I lo—"

"I never said it was yer fault. But Tsukishima, it's too late ta get whatever redemption yer looking for. Now move."

"No," the brunette said determinedly. "Not until you hear me."

"I've heard ya. And I don't care at all. Tsuki..."

The albino was surprised once again when Tsukishima pressed his body against his and gripped the back of his neck, placing his thumbs on his chin and tilting his head upwards. The brunette took advantage of his sudden shock to press his warms lips against the other's cold ones. He slipped his warm tongue in the teen's mouth and the latter shivered at the contact. Shiro almost whimpered when his tongue glided across the older man's. It had been so long since he'd felt the virile spark of a kiss with Tsukishima, he found that he almost craved it. He could get lost in it. The albino found himself gripping his shirt so that he would stay steady. No one kissed him like Tsukishima.

Not even Ichi—

Before the thought finished, Shiro bit down harshly on the other organ swirling around in his mouth. He pushed Tsukishima back and watched a thick stream of blood drip from the corner of his mouth. The teen wiped his own mouth if blood while panting, his face heating up with anger. He spit out blood to the side, getting ready to explode on the man before him. Tsukishima reached for him, but Shiro smacked his hand away.

"Don't. Fuckin touch me! Fuck! What is wrong with you guys?! I don't want yer filthy fucking hands on me, what is so hard ta understand about that?! I just don't get it!" Shiro blew up with a hysterical laugh. He leaned against the car to catch his breath from the laugh. "I'm sorry...it's just, I can't seem ta figure out why I attract tha most fucked up people. I mean, is it too much ta ask for something normal? I don't even think I could handle it because I'm so _used_ ta fucked up situations. I'm sick of it."

He bent over and rested his hands on his knees to breathe deeply. Tsukishima just stood there with an apologetic look on his face as blood continued to flow out of his mouth. He didn't even seem to notice it as he was too fixed on the pitiful sight in front of him. Shirosaki swore he was so upset he was going to throw up. He couldn't remember the last time he'd gotten so angry, but it made his stomach heave and feel like it was collapsing in on itself. He felt like killing something. It actually seemed like a good idea somewhere in his twisted mind.

"Fuck, Shiro I—" The brunette was about to apologize since he didn't know the teen felt so strongly about it, but Shiro just held up a hand to silence him.

"I'm goin home," he sighed, finally relaxed. "Don't follow me. Don't call me anymore. Tell Ginjou to _fuck himself_. Tell your boss to _fuck himself_ and I'm not interested. I'm done with this shit and I'm serious. I'm worn out. I can't handle it and I don't want to, okay?"

The teen spoke in the most gentle and polite voice he could, hoping that he'd be taken more serious this time. With a final deep breath, he stood up straight and walked towards his home. Tsukishima watched as he made his way contently down the sidewalk. He hoped that was that, and if it wasn't, then he just _may_ kill someone.

* * *

**This chapter was dramatic! It seems that Shiro finally snapped. :/ It's funny how just a kiss from Tsukishima set him off like that. Something psychotic just may have awoken in him. He seemed pretty pissed. But what do I know?**

**The next chapter or two will possibly be filled with GrimmIchi goodness, so stay tuned! I'm not entirely sure when I'll be able to upload since I'm going out of town, but I'll try as soon as possible, okay?**

**R&R, please!**

_**~EMAE**_


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Jeezus, it's been a while!**

**I TORE THREE OF MY FINGERNAILS OFF**

**Don't ask me how it happened, because I don't even know. It happened while I was painting my room a beautiful shade of mint. Then my whole week went to shit...All I can remember is mind-numbing pain. I couldn't type very well, so it was a struggle to get this out.**

**BUT I HAD TO DO IT. FOR ALL OF US.**

**On the upside, my vacation was great! But sadly, I only have 3 weeks left of Summer Break! *tear* If you haven't figured it out, that means less and less time to get more of the story out! Because once I start school, it'll be harder for me to take time out to write. Sad but true. Though with this story, I have a certain pull towards it. Like I could care less how busy I am and I just have to write it. Get me?**

**Anyway, I've noticed Shiro has been through some tough shit. But things are going to look up for our little albino! Maybe not in the way any of us expects, but he'll be happy in his own way. :3**

**I have relaxed way too much! I can't remember where the story was headed...but if I reread the whole thing, I'll be sure to get it.**

**And without further ado...**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Shiro almost got the wind knocked out of him when Ichigo jumped him. He wheezed at the loss of air when the ginger slammed into his chest and wrapped his arms around him.

"Ichi...what's wrong?" The albino asked.

"You weren't home when I got here. I started to worry because your car was outside but you weren't here..." Ichigo mumbled into his chest. That made Shiro smile a bit and place a hand on his head.

"Aw...it's cute that ya care so much about me," he replied with a small chuckle.

"Shiro...I get that you like teasing me, and we play around a lot, but..." Ichigo was silent before shoving himself away. "Do you like making me worry about you!?" The red-heads voice rose significantly and the older teens eyes widened. "Is it funny or something? Is it part of some game? It's not fair! You run off or get yourself hurt, and you won't even tell me what's going on!"

"Listen..."

"And I hate it! I hate being worried _fucking _sick about you! I hate that I care so much about you! Look, if all this sneaking around leads to another person, then just tell me! Don't lead me on when clearly I'm not the only one you want to be with!" A flash of Tsukishima's face appeared in the albino's mind and he shook it away. His face contorted in confusion at the strange thought. "And I couldn't give two fucks about sounding like a whiney bitch right now, because I'm tired of feeling this way!"

Shiro just stood there dumbfounded. He was going to say something, but the words got lost in his mouth as he listened to Ichigo. The teen seemed pretty upset. But Shirosaki understood. He had been really secretive, but it was all for a good cause in his eyes. And that good cause just demanded answers from him. The albino just wanted to protect Ichigo. The last thing he wanted was to have to pull him out of his problems. But there was no threat now, since he'd blown off all his issues in one go. Or so he'd hoped...but that didn't matter. The chaos was pushed aside, and he wanted to live happily with Ichigo now. The teen before him had torn his life completely apart, then put it back together again. In a way, he'd sort of saved him. Shiro was pretty sure if Ichigo hadn't confessed his feelings to him that night in the bathroom, he'd be dead in a ditch right now because he'd have nothing to live for. But his reason to live was now right in front of him. Caring and ignorant and dying for answers. And Shirosaki wanted to preserve him just like that, just as he was now. Loving and ignorant and just, well, Ichigo. He wanted nothing to change. He didn't want Ichigo to end up like him. The kid had a bright future ahead of him and he wanted to be there when he succeeded. The red-head was shocked when he was slammed against the wall and lips crashed down on his. He fought back at first, but eventually let his mouth fall open to invite Shiro's warm, pink tongue to dance with his own. The albino held his arms firmly, trying to deepen the kiss as much as possible. He wasn't going to let him go. Not for anything. The younger teen whimpered when Shirosaki's knee brushed against his hardening crotch. He shivered then hastily broke the kiss.

"Shirosaki...just tell me. Is there somebody else?" With a sigh, said albino figured one more little lie would do the trick to sew up all his loose ends.

"The truth...um...I—uh...I..." He thought hard about it. What could cover up all the secrets and fix everything? Ichigo looked up at him with those big chocolate eyes and he nearly lost it. "We...We're movin!"

"Huh?" Ichigo questioned with a tilt of his head.

"Yup! We're movin! All tha sneakin around, all tha disappearin, I was lookin for a new apartment!"

"Why? What's wrong with this one? Besides, it's close to my school."

"Nah, I don't like it anymore. And anyway, tha one I found is still close to yer school! It's a lot bigger, too! Maybe we can even get a dog or somethin!" The older teen said with mock excitement.

"Shiro, I'm not taking care of a dog," Ichigo replied and crossed his arms.

"Th-Then _I'll_ do it! So c'mon, what do ya say?" Shiro smiled nervously and grabbed Ichigo's hands. The ginger raised an eyebrow before he sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Fine. It's your choice that goes in the end anyway."

"Yeah, I know. I just wanted ta ask ya ta see what you'd say," the pale teen replied with a grin. When Ichigo rolled his eyes again, he hugged him. "We'll start packin up later this week," he told him.

"Um, I start school next week," Ichigo said worriedly.

"Well, then I'll start tonight, and we'll get moved in by the end of this week. Promise."

"...Ok," the smaller teen smiled in agreement then hugged him again.

_Great_, Shirosaki though nervously to himself, _now I gotta find us an apartment. And fast. But it shouldn't be that hard, right? At least I'm gettin rid of those two_. He almost growled angrily at the thought of Ginjou and Tsukishima. _They won't get in my way anymore. Not if I have anythin ta say about it._

* * *

Grimmjow, Starrk, Ulquiorra, Nelliel and Nnoitora all looked up in awe as they walked into the giant hall. This was where the Palooza would be taking place, and they all thought it looked magnificent. Nnoitora let out a whistle of astonishment as he rubbed one of the white marble walls.

"Never thought we'd make it this far," he mumbled and continued to admire the place.

"Never," they all replied together, lost in amazement.

"There's an atrocious lack of color, though," added Ulquiorra, internally disturbed by the all white interior.

_"Ulqui,"_ Starrk scolded him for ruining the moment.

"I'd only seen pictures of it before. Or seen it on TV. Now...we're actually _inside,"_ Nelliel said and placed her hand over her mouth.

She leaned her head on Nnoitora's shoulder making the tall man blush a bit and wrap an arm around her. Grimmjow couldn't stop the grin from spreading on his face. The group had come so far from being a highschool talent act. To see his friends faces so lit up with excitement, it made an odd warmth spread through his body.

"This is where all the greats have performed," a voice behind them said. They turned around to see Aizen walking towards them, his footsteps echoing in the tall halls. He was dressed in white, as always. "And now, you all have made it here."

"This place must be a paradise for you, huh, Aizen?" Starrk asked jokingly. "All this white."

"It is a magnificent structure," the brunette replied and placed a hand on the wall. After a second, he turned back to the group. "I am impressed. Truly. A year ago, I almost tore my hair out at the idea of signing you."

"Thanks, Aizen. That makes us feel great," Grimmjow said sarcastically.

"That's not what I meant, Grimmjow. As head of a record label, I fear signing _anybody_. But you, you all have accomplished what is only dreamed about. I mean, going _double_platinum, my pockets are full to bursting," the man said with a small chuckle. "You are extrodinary..." His gaze drifted to Ulquiorra who shifted uncomfortably in his spot. "In all, congratulations."

"Thank you, Aizen," Nelliel said, speaking for all of them.

"You're welcome. But do realize that there is no time to rest. In exactly a week and a half, this place will be filled with your fans. And they'll be expecting a good show. So I want rehearsals everyday!" Aizen informed them as he walked away. When he was out of earshot, Nnoitora groaned loudly.

"We'll never get a rest, will we?" He complained.

"C'mon, man. Think of it as our last gig. We have to put our all into it before we can take a load off," Starrk tried to encourage him.

"In other words, quit being lazy, Nnoi," Ulquiorra added and walked past them towards the door. He pulled it open and they all walked through together.

_"Holy shit!"_

Grimmjow couldn't hold back the crude statement as he was amazed by the stadium within. There must've been at least 40,000 seats in there. The blunette could hear his words echo through the whole place then come back to him. That only stirred his excitement even more. With a loud cheer, he took off for the stage, the rest of them trailing after him. He took a moment to catch his breath before he stood up straight and gazed out at all the seats.

"Oh, God. He's starstruck," Nnoitora said with a sigh. "Look, he's even got 'em in his eyes." He said as he stretched open Grimmjow's eye, earning him a punch in the stomach and a laugh from everyone else.

"So, guys, you can settle in at the hotel, or we can start practicing," Nelliel shouted.

"Settle in!" Starrk and Nnoitora said together.

"No! Let's practice! C'mon, guys! This is important!" Grimmjow pleaded with the rest of his band.

"Grimm, we're all exhausted. We need to rest," Starrk explained to his little brother resulting in a pout.

"Actually, I agree with Grimmjow," Ulquiorra added as he sat down at his already set up drums. He grabbed the sticks and lightly tapped on his instruments. "I don't want any fumbling when we perform for real. It _has_ to be perfect. _No_ mistakes." He started to play the drums a little harder, feeling the vibe kicking in.

"...Well, shit. No way in hell I'm lettin that buzzkill get more hyped than me," Nnoitora announced then grabbed his guitar from it's stand. Starrk just yawned and grabbed his as well.

"Alright." Grimmjow made his way to the mic stand. He nodded his head to the drum beat a bit before shouting. "One, two, three, four!"

* * *

Shiro bursted into the living room with tons of boxes of every size. Ichigo was surprised when they were dropped at his feet.

"Well don't just sit there! C'mon! Let's get started!" He said enthusiastically and pulled the other teen off the couch.

Over the next four days, they spent night and day packing up all of their belongings. Shiro didn't have much, just a few posters and records but no more than that. Ichigo has his books and awards and trophies, so Shiro helped out with that. They packed up their kitchenware and tables, then started to work on the TV.

"I think we'll need a bigger box," Ichigo mentioned.

"Yeah." Soon enough, they were done and went to get a moving truck then were on the way to the apartment Shirosaki picked. It was a really nice apartment that was near the beach. And it was also just near enough to Ichigo's school. "Got a surprise for you," Shiro said as they hoped out.

"What is it?"

"You'll see," he smirked and walked up to the complex. Shuuhei and Kensei walked out and walked down the steps to meet them. "We're right next to them!"

"Kensei!" Ichigo ran to hug him, immediately remembering Shiro's longtime friend.

"Hey," the gray-haired man said then hugged him back. "Ichigo, this is Shuuhei. Shuuhei, this is _Shiro's_ _fuck-toy_, Ichigo."

"Wha...?" Ichigo took a step back when he said that. Everyone went silent and looked to Kensei.

"...Sorry," the man apologized embarrassed. Shirosaki sighed.

"Kensei, it...it's just ain't funny when you say it."

"Yeah...Sorry Ichigo..."

"It's okay, Kensei," the redhead said with a laugh.

"Wanna see tha inside?" Ichigo nodded and let Shiro take his hand. "Thanks for the vacancy tip, Kensei." He said as he walked by the man.

"No prob." Their apartment was really nice. It was spacious and had view of the city. And on the other side was a great view of the beach.

"This is amazing," Ichigo said and went out on the balcony facing the beach.

"I'll be spending most of my time down there," the albino joked and pointed down at the sand.

"So, how do you guys like the place?" They heard a voice and looked to the balcony next to them. Kensei and Shuuhei were standing together looking at them.

"It's great, guys," Ichigo thanked them both.

"Yeah, thanks for tha help. We really needed it," Shiro followed with his own thank you.

"So, Ichigo, turns out Shuu's gonna be takin some creative writing and art classes at your school," Kensei informed him.

"Kensei!" Shuuhei said and blushed then looked to the ground.

"Don't worry, Shuu! I'm sure Ichi would be glad ta be yer friend!" Shiro teased. "He'll show ya around and everythin! You two will be, like, besties fer life!" He said in a mock happy-go-lucky voice earning laugh from Kensei and an elbow in the stomach from Ichigo.

"I'll be glad to show you around, Shuuhei. I think we'd be great friends," the redhead said with a soft smile.

"Th-Thanks," Shuuhei replied happily.

"Oh, I think one of your boxes made it over here somehow. Do you want it now?" Kensei asked.

"Nah, just bring it over whenever," the pale teen insisted as he tried to recover from the elbow to the stomach.

"Alright. Night you two," the older man said then was tugged inside by his boyfriend. When their balcony door slid closed, Shiro snickered.

"Guess what they're gonna do?"

"Grow up, baka!" Ichigo exclaimed with a laugh.

"C'mon. I'll make ya dinner."

The two went inside to eat then settled down with a movie on the couch. Both of them were tired from the move, but neither of them wanted to go to sleep. It was exciting being in a new apartment.

"She's so fuckin hot," Shirosaki said absentmindedly as he stared at the girl in the movie.

"She's gonna die," Ichigo said and took a bite of his steak.

"Shut tha fuck up, Ichi! I haven't seen it!" Shirosaki slapped his hand over the redhead's mouth as he began to laugh. Sure enough, the chick got her brain painted on the nearest wall. "Dammit!" The albino grabbed at his hair then glared at his roomate. "I'm so pissed at ya right now."

"What? It was totally obvious! Don't tell me you didn't see that coming!"

"I didn't!"

"Too bad," Ichigo mumbled with a mouth full of food. He took his last bite of steak then stood and held his hand out for Shiro's plate. The older teen handed it off then watched as the ginger walked to the kitchen.

_"Nice ass."_

"Oh? I though you were pissed at me!" He shouted from the kitchen.

"I forgive ya."

"What's with the sudden change of heart?"

"You were just jealous," Shirosaki said with a smirk as Ichigo walked back to the couch.

"As if," he scoffed and put his hands on his hips. "I'm way hotter than that bimbo."

"Haha," the albino laughed. "True." The redhead circled around the couch then tried to sit down but Shiro put his feet up. "Sit on my lap." He said then patted his legs.

"..._Hell no,"_ Ichigo responded seriously then moved his feet. Though his roomate moved quick, and as soon as he was about to put his butt down, Shiro slid under him so he fell into his lap. The teen glared at him then crossed his arms. He sat up and affectionately nuzzled his nose through the orange hair.

"Mmm..._Strawberries." _The younger teen groaned irritatedly then blushed.

"Baka..."

Shirosaki pulled Ichigo's head to his chest and they continued to watch the movie. The redhead eventually fell to the call of sleep due to the blue light cast by the television. They both sat still, Ichigo breathing quietly and Shiro continuing the movie while softly running his fingers through his orange hair. Shiro smiled at the moment. This was all he needed. No _drug_ _high_ could beat this bliss. At that thought, his arm started to itch. He scratched at it until it stung, and the once invisible needle marks were stark red. It would be hard to kick the habit, but he'd have to go through with it. That's why he threw the heroin Ginjou gave him somewhere far where he couldn't find it. He wasn't scared of any nightmares. Willing his hand to be still only caused him to be uncomfotable and shift. Ichigo stirred in his sleep, so the albino only scratched lightly, but the younger teen woke anyway.

"Mmm...Shiro?...What's wrong?" He asked in a sleepy voice.

"N-Nothin. Bug bites...That's all," Shirosaki responded.

"Oh...Should we get the place inspected?"

"Nah, these were from our old apartment."

_It's not a total lie._

"Well, then it's a good thing we moved," the sleepy teen said through a yawn.

"Yeah...it is," the albino responded. At that moment, the two heard a few loud thumps. It fully woke up Ichigo and the two looked towards the wall. It happened to be the side where Kensei and Shuuhei were staying. Ichigo and Shiro looked at each other before they started to laugh.

"Oh my God," the redhead placed a hand on his forehead and continued to laugh.

"I told ya that's what they'd be doing!"

* * *

"You okay, Shuu?" Kensei shouted from the bedroom. He'd heard the loud thumps from the living room and assumed something was wrong.

"Yeah, I just tripped, that's all!" The raven replied.

"Alright. C'mon back to bed!"

Shuuhei looked back at what he had tripped over and raised an eyebrow. It was one of Shiro and Ichigo's moving boxes. He turned around and opened the untaped box. There seemed to be nothing more than clothes in the box, but Shuuhei spotted something in the corner. It looked like a small plastic bag so he pulled it out. Inside was a white powdery substance. After examining it closer, Shuuhei dropped it and backed up to hit the wall. He knew what it was, and he was afraid.

"Shuu?" Kensei called again.

"C-Coming!" He shakily picked up the bag and threw it back into the box before closing and hastily making his way back to the bedroom.

* * *

**Well, it seems Grimmjow and his band are finally on top! But he's missing something...or someone...isn't he?**

**Anyway, what happened to Shiro? He threw away those drugs, right? Well, at least he's trying to make serious changes to keep Ichigo in his life. And what's up with Shuuhei? What does he know now?...**

**ShiroIchi sexy times are approaching! Maybe next chapter, maybe not...**

**Haha. I may not have told you this, but I'm secretly a troll.**

**R&R, please!**

**_~EMAE_**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Well, my fingers are doing a lot better. **

**And all you desperate GrimmIchi fans out there, your time is near and approaching! But Shiro needs his lovin too, so be patient! XD**

**I think the story picks up a little more in this chapter. If not this one then the next chapter. But I'm pretty sure it's this one.**

**Ulquiorra OOCness in this chapter. XD**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Ulquiorra yawned as he exited his hotel room to head for the jacuzzi. He was extremely exauhsted, but the pale man was prone to random bouts of insomnia. It was around three in the morning, so he guessed he'd take a quick dip in the warm bubbly water while no one was there. The raven heard a sudden click behind him and turned around. He caught a glimpse of someone turning a corner then raised an eyebrow.

_Did they just come from Nelliel's room? _He asked himself. _Hm._

He stealthily pursued the unknown suspect down two flights of stairs, paused to greet some giggling fangirls, then continued around a few more corners until he saw them. Nnoitora was trying to silently unlock his door and get inside. Ulquiorra's blank stare seemed to light up with realization and his arm raised. He pointed at the lanky man then spoke.

"What were you doing in Nelliel's room?" He asked simply.

The sound of his voice made Nnoitora jump and drop his keycard. He looked at the green-eyed man down the hall then swallowed the dryness in his throat.

"H-Hey, Ulqui," he waved with a nervous smile.

"What were you doing?"

"Wh-What're ya talkin 'bout, Ulqui? Yer tired, go ta bed," he said.

"I saw you."

"S-Saw me what, man?"

"I saw you come out of her room," one dark eyebrow rose on Ulquiorra's pale forehead.

"No ya didn't, dude. Stop pointin at me."

"Yes, I saw you."

_"Did not."_

_"Did too."_

_"No, _ya didn't."

_"Stop!"_ Ulquiorra lost his composure for a moment then took a deep breath. _"Nnoi,_ I saw you. Explain." The tall man sighed and banged his head on his door.

"Okay...But ya _can not_ tell _anyone!" _Ulquiorra didn't respond as his eyes flickered to the elevator then back. Nnoitora narrowed his eyes at the small man, knowing something wasn't right at all. "...Ulqui?"

"...I'm telling." The pale man said calmly before taking off for the elevators.

_Fuck._

Nnoitora ran after his bandmate but only reached the elevator in time to see the evil beneath that stoic face before the doors shut. Not giving up yet, he hauled ass to the stairs and ran as quick as he could. It sucked because each floor had two flights of stairs for a total of four. But he skipped steps and bursted through the door. He was just in time to catch Ulquiorra running down the hall.

"Ulquiorra, ya little shit! Stop!" He shouted and picked up his pace. When Ulquiorra turned the corner, he was roughly tackled to the ground by the lanky man.

"Get off of me," Ulquiorra stated.

"No way." Unlucky for Nnoitora, they landed right in front of Grimmjow's room. The blunette swung the door open and had a very exauhsted, very _pissed_, look on his face.

"What. The _fuck._ I can hear ya from down tha hall. Tha fuck do ya want this fuckin _early?"_ He grumbled angrily.

"Nnoit—" Ulquiorra was cut off when Nnoitora shoved his face into the carpet.

"We were just havin a race. That's all," Nnoitora said with a smile.

"...You guys high?"

"What? No, we were racing."

"Seriously, cough up tha joint. I ain't dealin with this right now." Nnoitora just rolled his eyes and sighed. He pulled his hand away from Ulquiorra's mouth when he felt something moist go across it.

"Nnoitora and Nelliel are sleeping together!" The raven on the floor took the opportunity to say.

"..."

"..."

"...Pardon?" Grimmjow thought it must have been his exauhstion playing tricks on him so he shook his head.

"Just...don't be pissed."

"Why would I be?"

"I don't know! Ulquiorra made it this whole big deal and ran ta tell ya! I thought you'd be mad or somethin," Nnoitora said and glared at Ulquiorra. They all turned when the door across from Grimmjow's opened. A very irritated looking Starrk stood in his boxers.

"C'mon, Starrk, we gotta talk," Grimmjow ushered everyone into his room and Starrk reluctantly grabbed his room key then followed.

"What could possibly be the problem that it couldn't wait for the morning?" The brunette asked then plopped into Grimmjow's bed.

"Apparently, Nnoitora is fuckin Nel," Grimmjow said with a shrug. At that statement, Starrk sat up.

"Um...Okay. Nice job easing me into that," Starrk said and rubbed his eyes. "That true?" He turned to the tall raven sitting on the floor who nodded in response. "How long?"

"...Well it started that night Grimm was sent to tha hospital. I left with her and we had a few drinks when we went to tha party...and, well..."

"Wait, wait, wait. So while I was dyin in tha hospital, you two were fuckin?" He asked.

"First off, ya weren't _dyin_. And we had no idea where ya were, so shut up. Anyways, yeah, we've been sneakin around since then," Nnoitora admitted.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Ulquiorra asked.

"She's like our sister! I've known her since, like, the 2nd grade! It just feels wrong!"

"Why? Who cares if she's like our sister? Hell, if anyone was man enough ta fuck my sister, I'd slap 'em on tha back and say good luck," the blunette said and rolled his eyes.

"It shouldn't feel wrong, Nnoi. Nel's a pretty girl. And you've had a thing for her for a while," Starrk said.

"How did you know that?" Nnoitora asked astonished.

"Remember that time we were drunk and talking?"

"Oh."

"Just don't fuck with her heart, Nnoi. She is our sister after all," Grimmjow laughed.

"You're sick."

* * *

A loud beeping startled Shirosaki out of his sleep and he shot up in bed. He squinted and looked around, his gold and black eyes landing on the infernal contraption near Ichigo's side of his bed. He groaned and slammed his head back into his pillows and started to shake his roommate. Ichigo shouted out his most recent dream incoherently then yawned.

"Wha?..."

"Turn yer fuckin alarm off..." The albino grumbled.

"'Kay..." Ichigo mumbled into his pillow then reached over to turn it off but went back to sleep before he did. The irritating noise kept Shiro awake and he growled. He shoved Ichigo out of his bed with his leg and the redhead hit the floor with a loud thud.

"Turn it off!"

"What the hell, Shiro!"

"Wake me when ya wanna go," the teen in bed told him then curled up in his blankets and immediately started snoring.

"Baka..." Ichigo frowned then reluctantly got up. He smirked and left the alarm going then went to get dressed. Shiro heard the clock still beeping and shot up in bed again.

"Ichigo!"

The redhead finished showering and got dressed then was surprised to see Shiro out of the bed making breakfast. They ate quickly then Shirosaki drove him and Shuuhei to the university.

"Me and Kensei will be workin out today so call us when yer done," the albino shouted from the car.

"Okay!" Ichigo called back then watched him drive off. "Ugh...I really don't feel like starting up school again."

"What are you majoring in?" Shuuhei asked.

"Medical Science. You're Art right?"

"That and Creative Writing."

"Oh, that's cool! I always thought about taking Art but I can't even draw a stick man," the two shared a laugh at Ichigo's statement then proceed to go to class.

While the two were at school, Shirosaki and Kensei went to work out for a while.

"We haven't don't this in a while," Kensei said.

"Yeah. I really need to blow off some engery," the albino responded and began lifting weights.

He had too much energy than he was comfortable with. Apparently his body was still high and he just needed to blow it off. He hadn't been affected so much by the long time he had any. Not like Ginjou had anyway. He wasn't twitchy, or at least he didn't think he was. And there were no nightmares or anything, so maybe he hadn't been hooked long enough to relapse. Though Kensei was a little put off by how much Shiro was doing.

"Uh, Shiro, you sure you're ok?" The silver-haired man inquired.

"I'm fine. Just a little pumped."

"You seem...jittery."

_"I said I'm fine._ Now stop talking. We're here to work out, right?" Shiro was getting a little pissed at being questioned.

"I guess..."

Kensei just shrugged off his friends odd behavior and the two continued to lift weights.

* * *

"So which song should we go over next?" Nnoitora asked Nel. The green-haired woman just frowned and turned away from him. He looked to Starrk but the brunette just shrugged. "Um...Nel?" He called to her but she refused to look at him. "What's gotten into her?"

"I told her that you told us," Ulquiorra answered his question.

"What?! Ulquiorra! Ya know, I'm startin ta think you were sent here to fuck my life up tha ass."

"Doesn't matter right now," Grimmjow said with a roll of his eyes. "Nel, which song?" He called down to her.

"Um, how about Annie You Save Me? That one needs work!" She replied instantly.

"Oh, come on!" Nnoitora shouted. Grimmjow started singing but not before Ichigo popped into his head.

For no goddamn reason.

He'd dismissed the teen so harshly, and for something so childish as a little rejected crush.

He actually felt sorry.

The blunette kept singing, but noticed he was singing to no music. Everyone was staring at him with a surprised look on his face.

"What's wrong?" He looked at them all. "Do I suck or somethin?"

"No...But ya just said Ichigo," Nnoitora said.

"What? No I didn't."

"Um...you did, Grimmjow," Nelliel confirmed.

"Yeah, you just said, 'Oh, _Ichigo,_ save me from the world. Last time I checked, _you_ wrote this song, Grimm," Starrk chuckled, a grin creeping onto his face.

"No—I didn't—I didn't say that!" Grimmjow shouted.

"Ya sure did! Ya miss Ichi!" Nnoitora bursted into laughter making the blunette drop his instrument and jump off the stage.

"Oh, c'mon, Grimm!" Starrk tried to stop him.

"You guys need to realize that Grimmjow is slowly becoming emotionally unstable," Ulquiorra stated, followed by a remark from Nnoitora.

As the two bickered, Nelliel couldn't help but think that Ulquiorra was right. Grimmjow had become a lot softer since Ichigo came around, and the man seemed genuinely unhappy since they'd parted ways. She had to do something. But...she couldn't hook them up. Ichigo was happily with someone else. But Grimmjow was so torn...

"Hm..." She thought and tapped her chin. "I'll get them to make up somehow..." She said to herself.

* * *

Ichigo stared at what he received in the mail. There was an envelope containing two plane tickets, a hotel room booked, and two backstage passes to the Espada's Platinum Palooza. Along with a note.

_Hey, Ichigo! I just wanted to thank you properly for taking time out of your schedule to care for Grimmjow. Without you, we would be able to perform in front of 40,000 people! We all miss you so much and hope that we'll get to see you there! Especially Grimmjow!_

_~Love, Nel_

Ichigo smiled at the note then frowned at the contents of the envelope. Even if he wanted to go, he couldn't make it. The Palooza was on a school night. And he couldn't take a plane to the performance hall then come right back. He'd miss his classes, and that wasn't an option. But still...he did miss everyone. And not a day went by where he didn't think about how Grimmjow was doing. Was he still taking the right medication? Was he resting enough? Ichigo hoped he wasn't straining his voice too much. Was he still mad? Ichigo didn't even understand why the blue-haired man fired him. He just kind of snapped, and then it was over.

_I'd at least like an explanation,_ he thought to himself.

"Whatcha got?" Shiro asked, sneaking up on him and snapping him out of his reverie.

"Some tickets to the Espadas," he answered.

"Oh...Do ya wanna go?"

"I can't. I have school." Shiro rose an eyebrow. He knew Ichigo wanted to go just by looking at him. Of course the albino was still wary of Grimmjow, but it still seemed like it'd be a lot of fun if they went.

"Let's go."

"What? Shiro, I can't—" The redhead protested.

"Oh c'mon! It'll be fun! This can be our make-up trip in place of tha snowboardin one!" Shirosaki insisted.

"Shiro."

"Ichigo." The both stared each other down until the older teen spoke up again. "Look, ya didn't really get ta have a vacation. And this is tha perfect opportunity. So you'll have a little bit of work ta do, just bring it with ya and ask Uryu ta fill ya in while we're gone." Shiro moved closer to him and gently pecked him on the lips. "Think about it, we'll be in a nice hotel room, just you and me." Ichigo smiled and kissed him back then nodded.

"Okay. Let's go." The albino grinned.

"So, when do we leave?"

* * *

**So Ichigo and Grimmjow will cross paths again. What will transpire at the concert?**

**I started a new story yesterday and I'm so excited! The main pairing is Grimmjow and Starrk, which is a very rare one, but I just love it. So check that out if you'd like! I'd really appreciate it! And I'll be starting a ShiroIchi story very soon as well!**

**Thanks for hanging in this far!**

**R&R, please!**

_**~EMAE**_


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: (deep sigh)**

**I'm sorry this chapter was late.**

**I sprained my wrist. Not even going to try and explain.**

**But whatever, not much I can do about it. It's not affecting my writing so much, so yay! :D**

**Anyway...**

**20TH CHAPTER OH MA GAWD**

**It's been such a long journey. And I am so thankful to you all for sticking with me! I know this story has had it's rough patches, but the support from you guys makes me want to work harder and make this something great.**

**And I know I've been holding out on the GrimmIchi, but it's for a good reason, in my opinion. It's actually in the midst of my favorite part of the story, so I want to save it for later.**

**I hope that's okay with you guys.**

**Well...**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

A few days before they left for the concert, Shirosaki noticed something was off. He was sleeping less and less, he wasn't eating right, his skin was turning a sickly yellow. He ignored it at first, but then nightmares started to come about. He'd wake up in frequent cold sweats, dreaming about dying or being held back while Ginjou ruthlessly fucked Ichigo. They seemed more like visions than dreams, and that only made him paranoid. Everywhere they went, Shiro was on the look out. When they first moved, he was convinced that he and Ichigo were safe from any threat relating to Ginjou and Tsukishima. But now...the dreams were taking hold of his sanity.

Shuuhei had noticed this strange behavior, and he knew it was from only one thing. What he'd found in that moving box...he had run across it before. It worried him. He'd grown quite accustomed to being friends with Ichigo and Shiro. And when he picked up the small plastic bag, he feared the worst. Shiro only had death in his future if he continued to use the drugs. Shuuhei tried to tell Ichigo without _telling_ him, but it was harder than he'd thought. Ichigo didn't notice the strange behavior and just told Shuuhei he'd been hitting the books a little _too_ hard. Maybe Kensei would know what to do. The last option he wanted was to tell Shiro's best friend, but he couldn't watch him destroy himself.

* * *

"He _what?!"_ Kensei shouted.

Shuuhei flinched then wrung his hands in his shirt nervously. He knew Kensei wouldn't take it very well, but it was the best he could do.

"Kensei, p-please don't be mad at him," The raven pleaded with him.

"Fuckin—What the hell is wrong with him?! How the fuck—" the older man couldn't stop his hand when it punched the wall.

"Kensei..."

"I'm not mad. I just...fuck..."

"Yes, you are. I know when you're mad." Shuuhei placed a had on his arm.

"What happened to him? I knew the guy wasn't a fuckin saint, but _drugs?"_ Kensei gripped his hair in anger.

"Kensei, just calm down. Remember how I was? You stayed with me and I'm all better now. He can still get out of it, but he can't do it alone. And you have to talk to him first, see if he even wants help."

"...Alright," Kensei took a deep breath and collected himself. Shuuhei wanted him to be calm, so he'd be calm.

Right after he kicked Shiro's ass.

* * *

"Why'd ya call me out here, Ken-chan?" Shiro asked with a yawn. Kensei had asked him to meet outside on the patio for some odd reason. It was late and he wanted to get back to Ichigo, so he tried to hurry this up. Kensei tossed him something and the albino caught it swiftly. When he opened his hand, his eyes widened. "...Where'd ya get this?" He asked lowly.

"Found it. In one of the boxes you left at my place," Kensei replied. There was a stretch of silence before he continued. "Care to explain?"

"It's a long story."

"Oh, I think we've got fuckin time." The silver-haired man's tone irritated Shiro and he raised an eyebrow.

"Kensei, it's none 'a yer business," the albino stubbornly said.

"Well, I'm makin it my goddamn business. Why the fuck do you have that shit?" Kensei's temper was quickly rising.

Shiro frowned before he tossed the bag to the ground. He reached in his back pocket and pulled out a matchbook, deftly striking one to life then throwing it on top of the bag.

"Now I don't," he said as it burned to a smoldering brownish liquid on the pavement. "Get off my ass."

"No. I'm your best mate, Shiro. You owe me an explanation," Kensei persisted.

"I don't owe ya shit," he quickly snapped. "I quit, so there's no reason for us ta continue this conversation." He turned to leave.

"...Does Ichigo know?" The albino stopped.

"'Course not. And I plan on keepin it that way," Shirosaki said with a bit of warning. "I don't need him thinkin I got a problem when there ain't one anymore."

"You owe it to him to tell the truth!" The older man yelled.

"I owe it ta _myself_ ta move on from this! And tellin him ain't gonna help that!"

"Well if you're serious about him, you need to let him know!"

"That won't change anything! I still ain't tellin him!" Kensei growled and slammed Shiro against the nearest gate. Shiro grabbed his wrists and they both stared each other down.

"You'd better not be lying about quitting," the man looked him in the eyes. "Because if you are, I'm going to beat your ass to a pulp. You tell Ichigo. You're gonna tell him or I am."

Kensei threw him back and stormed off, leaving Shiro to his thoughts. Maybe Kensei had the right intentions, but he really pissed the teen off. Ichigo didn't _need_ to know. Not if Shiro was fine and he'd quit using. Everything would be fine. People just needed to stop butting into their business. They were really stressing him out.

_Maybe I should start doin pot again_, he thought with a small chuckle.

* * *

"So you'll watch the apartment?" Ichigo asked Renji and Chad over the phone.

_"Yep. Even though ya _didn't invite us," Renji said in playful spite. Ichigo scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"Sorry Renji. I only had two tickets, and Shiro really wanted to go so—"

_"Aw, I was just playing, Ichi. Go have fun. And Shiro, promise you'll get Nelliel's autograph for me!"_

"But...she's not even a member of tha band..." Shiro said confused.

_"So what? I'm totally in love with her!"_

_"Don't let Rukia hear you, Renji,"_ Chad chuckled.

"Well, we'll be back in two days! And let Kensei and Shuuhei in if they knock. I think they still have some of our stuff, so they'll be bringing it over some time," Ichigo explained.

_"Right! Wait...who are they again?"_ The crimson haired teen asked. Ichigo sighed.

"They're our neighbors, baka."

_"Got it. Now you two have fun!"_

"Thanks guys. See ya!" Ichigo hung up then picked up his bag and gestured for Shiro to follow him.

"Are ya ready?" Shiro asked.

"Well, more or less," Ichigo replied. "I'm still kind of mad that I got fired, but Nelliel wanted me to be there so that's why I'm going."

"Why'd ya get fired again?"

"I have no idea. But let's not talk about that. We're going to have some fun." A small chuckle came from the albino behind him.

"I'm startin ta think yer more excited than I am."

* * *

"This is an awesome hotel!" Shirosaki said excitedly and plopped down on the large couch in the room. Ichigo was in the bedroom portion admiring the view from the window. "Tha show starts at six, right?" He called to him.

"No, but that's what time we have to be there if we want a good seat," Ichigo said as he made his way back into the other room.

"How many people are s'posed ta be goin?"

"About 40,000."

"Goddamn. Well, we got nothin ta worry about since we got backstage passes," the albino sang and held up the two badges.

"Yeah." Ichigo agreed before taking the seat next to him. Shiro moved to lay down in Ichigo's lap then flipped the TV on.

_**"And now were live on the red carpet! Just hours away until the Palooza begins! Let's see what our die-hard fans are thinking!"**_ The host held up a microphone to a herd of screaming girls.

_**"OH GOD! STARRK I LOVE YOU! I WANT TO HAVE YOUR BABIES!"**_

_**"GRIMMJOW YOU'RE SO HOT! MARRY ME!"**_

_**"NNOITORA CALL ME! IS HIS TONGUE REALLY THAT LONG?"**_

_**"ULQUIORRA IS SO CUTE! THE SONGS HE WRITES ARE JUST SO DEEP!"**_

_**"Um, yeah...I guess my girlfriend is really obsessed with this band, so that's why I'm here."**_

**_"Well, the hype is on for these screaming fans! None of them even have tickets but they arrived here on the carpet just to see the band arrive!"_**

"Geez, I know I love 'em, but not _that_ much," Shiro said then cringed when they showed a fight breaking out.

_**"Wait! A limo is pulling up! The golden hour has arrived! The Espada's are here!"**_ A black limo pulled up and the door opened. Nnoitora's long leg appeared then the rest of him emerged. _**"And electric guitarist Nnoitora Gilga is the first to step out! His signature white bandana has quickly become a new fashion statement!"**_ He flashed his long tattooed tongue and made everyone go wild. Starrk came out, his long hair down and his hand running through it. _**"Coyote Starrk! The laid back bassist and lady killer!"**_ He smiled his lazy smile and half the crowed fainted. Ulquiorra was next, his big green eyes scanning the big crowd. He'd never liked being so close to so many people so he unconciously grabbed onto the back of Starrk's jacket and stayed close to him. That made everyone go nuts. _**"Ulquiorra Cifer! Never knew the guy was so shy!"**_

Suddenly, everyone got quiet, their eyes still on the limo. Someone swung their legs out, then stepped out of the limo. It was Grimmjow, his blue hair gelled and his black and blue attire on. His hands were in his pockets as he slowly strode down the red carpet. He made eye contact with someone and almost made them cry. The whole crowd was silent until he turned his head to the camera and his famous feral grin spread across his face. The sidelines erupted into seas of panic. People tried to grab the band members and they were quickly ushered inside.

**_"It's Grimmjow Jaegerjaques! Alive and well the lead singer shows just a grain of his wild side!"_**

_"Look at them,"_ Ichigo said in awe. The crowd was going wild. "We'd better get going."

* * *

The doors closed and they were alone again. Nnoitora was the first to utter a sound, his laughter echoing through the hall.

"How is it that people love us so much? I spend all day with you guys and I can't stand it!" He snickered. "Oh and Grimm? That move ya pulled out there was top!" The two hi-fived. "I thought we were gonna die!"

"It was very amusing" Ulquiorra voiced.

"Wow Ulqui, I don't think I've ever seen you smile," Starrk said lowly and made the stoic face blush. Starrk had never used that tone with him.

"Y'know, I think we actually may have caused some of them ta cream their pants," the tallest band member added making Grimmjow laugh.

"Don't flatter yourself," a familiar voice rang from behind the blunette. He knew exactly who it was.

"What do you want, Luppi?" Starrk asked.

"Oh, nothing. I'm just seeing if you all are ready to _fail_ then watch me take the spotlight," the effeminate male sang and smirked.

"Yer singin _one_ song with us. Don't get too excited," Nnoitora snapped at him.

"But you're forgetting that I was _requested_ to perform. By the fans. I'm slowly moving back up."

"Emphasis on the 'slowly.'"

"It's only a matter of time until I'm back at the top. I hope you guys have enjoyed your fifteen minutes of _lame_. 'Cause you're about to be cut short."

"Fuckin shut it already, Antenor," Grimmjow growled. It was their day today and he wasn't going to crack.

Not yet at least.

"Hm," Luppi chuckled. "People seem to think we'd be a good couple, Grimm. They've been _dying_ to see us together," he leaned on the wall next to him a little too close making the man move back. "But you're not my type. I like mine with a little _less_ restraint. You know, a real man." He gasped in surprise when Grimmjow grabbed the front of his shirt and lifted him up, swiftly punching the wall next to his head and cracking the marble a bit.

"..." Grimmjow didn't have his usual pissed off face. He looked almost calm and his expression said he was in no mood for bullshit.

"Hmm..." He hummed in a slightly aroused manner. "Maybe you _are_ my type," the purple-eyed raven said and giggled when Grimmjow dropped him to his feet. He dusted himself off then walked away. "See you guys later. Bye _Grimmy~."_

"You handled that maturely, Grimm," Starrk told him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Whatever," he spoke angrily. "We're here now so let's just go find Nel and get ready," the blunette said then they all walked towards their dressing rooms.

* * *

"This is the right address, isn't it?" Ginjou asked Tsukishima. They were sitting in a car staring up at the apartments.

"I believe so," Tsukishima replied with a hint of regret.

"Great. Let's go," a grin spread across his face. When the two walked up to the level of the right flat, Ginjou knocked on the door. A teen with a spiky red ponytail answered the door with a stick of pocky in his mouth.

"Yeah?" He asked. The two men looked at each other confused.

"We're lookin for Shirosaki and Ichigo. Who're you?" Ginjou asked

"I'm Renji..." The teen raised an eyebrow then his face lit up in realization. "Oh! Are you guys Kensei and Shuuhei? The couple next door?"

"...Yeah," Ginjou grinned then grabbed Tsukishima's hand. "I'm Kensei, this is Shuuhei."

"Well, c'mon in. I'll let Ichigo know you guys are here."

"Uh, you don't have to do that now. I'm sure they're pretty busy right?" Tsukishima spoke nervously.

"Hm. You're right, I'll tell them later." The two men moved towards the back of the flat before the other teen spoke up.

"Don't you guys have some of their moving stuff to bring over?" He asked.

"Yeah. We're just...findin a place to put it when we bring it in."

The kid didn't look convinced, but Ginjou didn't hesitate so he wouldn't cause more suspicion. He headed towards Ichigo's room and Tsukishima into Shirosaki's. They started rummaging through everything without making a total mess. Tsukishima half-heartedly looked because he really didn't want to find anything that would lead them to the albino and his young friend. Instead, he mostly picked up after Shiro because his room was so dirty.

_He'll never learn,_ the man thought with a chuckle as he folded the fallen and discarded clothes. _I hope this Ichigo kid can handle the real kind of person he is._

Tsukishima honestly just wanted to let Shiro be, because deep down in his heart of hearts, he still loved him. In his eyes, Shiro didn't deserve this. And doing this would only make the teen hate him more. His thoughts stopped when Ginjou knocked on the door.

"Found somethin~," he informed in a sing-song voice holding a piece of paper. "You?"

"No," Tsukishima replied simply and set down a folded shirt.

"Have you been cleaning?" The brown-eyed man laughed quietly. "Tsukishima, don't tell me you still love the kid?" Silence was the only reply he needed. "Oh hell," he laughed again. "That's hilarious. Don't get to caught up again. He hates you. No point in hanging over him." Ginjou lightly tapped Tsukishima's lip. "Plus you've got me. We've been fine on our own for as long as I can remember. We don't need anyone else." Ginjou pressed his lips to Tsukishima's but the tall man just pushed him back and walked away.

"Let's just go." He walked out and headed towards the door. Ginjou just shrugged then followed him.

"You guys leaving?" Renji asked before the door was slammed closed.

"I don't think those two were who they said they were," Chad voiced.

"Really?" The redhead questioned.

_Maybe I should call Shiro..._

* * *

Ginjou started up the car and the two drove off at high speed.

"Ginjou, I really think we should leave these two alone," Tsukishima voiced again.

"Ah quit your whining, Tsuki. I want nothin to do with the brats either. But that doesn't matter. _Ichimaru-sama_ wants Shiro, so _we_ have to go get him," the larger man replied then grinned. "And it shouldn't be too hard finding him now. They're at the biggest event in Japan."

He held a folded up piece of paper between his fingers. And it just so happened to be the note Nelliel wrote to Ichigo. There was only one place where someone could perform in front of 40,000 people. And Ginjou was driving as fast as the car would go to get there. At that speed, they'd maybe get there in a day and a half.

* * *

When Ichigo and Shirosaki arrived at the ticket booth to show their own, they were surprisingly escorted to an entrance which led to backstage. Shiro elbowed the ginger to show his excitement and Ichigo just smiled back.

"Wait here," the man who directed them said then walked off.

"C'mon," Shiro insisted then stood and grabbed Ichigo's hand.

"He _just_ told us to wait here, Shiro," Ichigo said seriously.

"Whatever! We're special guests! We can do what we want!" He pulled the younger teen along and they ran on stage. They looked out at the thousands of seats and were astonished at how big the place was.

"You guys made it!" Nelliel shouted from their side then ran up and hugged them.

"Hey Nel," Ichigo replied.

"This is gonna be so much fun! We're having an after party once the show is over, you guys in?"

"Hell yeah!" Shiro shouted enthusiastically.

"Sure."

"Great!" Nelliel exclaimed then looked to her watch. "Oh! The doors are about to open! You guys better head backstage! Or you can sit up front, it's your choice."

"Hey Nel!" Nnoitora called as he walked in their direction. "Can you call the maintenance guy? My amp isn't working." Nelliel just turned on her heels then walked in the opposite direction.

"Oh c'mon, baby!" Ichigo laughed at the statement.

"Did he just call her _baby? _What's_ that _about?" He asked then continued to laugh.

"Hey Shiro~" Nnoitora sang then chased after Nelliel earning a glare. Shiro stuck out his tongue at him then moved closer to Ichigo.

"We'd better get outta here, yeah?"

"Mhm, let's go," Ichigo agreed then followed the albino offstage.

* * *

**And the second 3rd (something like that) of the story is done!**

**I'm estimating this story to stretch between 30-40 chapters. Longest story I've ever done. It's just overwhelming how far this has come. I can't thank you guys enough! :3**

**And I'm super happy because I got some reviews on my new story!**

**Things really kick off in the upcoming chapters of Break My Bones and I've already started on those. So stay tuned!**

**R&R, please!**

**_~EMAE_**


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